Environment
            THE Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) is the nodal
      agency in the central government for overseeing the implementation of India’s environment and
      forest policies and programmes relating to conservation of the country’s natural resources
      including lakes and rivers, its biodiversity, forests and wildlife, ensuring the welfare of animals
      and prevention and abatement of pollution. While implementing these policies and programmes,
      the Ministry is guided by the principle of sustainable development. The Ministry is also the nodal
      agency for the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), International Centre for
      Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) and the United Nations Conference on
      Environment and Development (UNCED). The Ministry also coordinates with multilateral
      bodies such as the Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD), Global Environment
      Facility (GEF) and regional bodies such as Economic and Social Council for Asia and Pacific
      (ESCAP) and South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) on matters
      pertaining to environment.
      Relevant Website: www.envfor.nic.in
      Botanical Survey of India
            Botanical Survey of India (BSI) is the apex research organization under Ministry of
      Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC), Govt. of India for carrying out
      taxonomic and floristic studies on wild plant resources of the country. It was established in 1890
      with the basic objective to explore the plant resources of country and to identify the plants
      species with economic virtues. Sir George King, the then Superintendent of the ‘Royal Botanic
      Garden’ Calcutta was appointed as first ex-officio Honorary Director of the BSI. After
      independence the department was reorganized in 1954 by Government of India as a part of
      scientific development of the country. During the successive plan periods, the functional base of
      BSI was further expanded to include various new areas such as inventorying of endemic, rare
      and threatened plant species; evolving conservation strategies; studies on fragile ecosystems and
      protected areas, like wildlife sanctuaries, national parks and biosphere reserves, multiplication
      and maintenance of endemic and threatened plant species, wild ornamentals, etc., in Botanic
      Gardens and Orchidaria; documentation of traditional knowledge associated with plants and
      development of National Database of herbarium specimens/live collection/ botanical paintings/
      illustrations, plant distribution and nomenclature, plant uses, etc.
      Zoological Survey of India
            The Zoological Survey of India (ZSI), a premier research institution under the Ministry has
      completed 100 years of services to the Nation, undertaking survey, exploration and research
      leading to the advancement of our knowledge on the exceptionally rich faunal diversity of the
      country since its inception in 1916. Over the successive plan periods functions of ZSI have also
      expanded gradually encompassing areas like the Environmental Impact Assessment with regard
      to fauna; survey of conservation areas; status survey of endangered species; computerization of
      digitization of data on faunal resources; Environmental Information System (ENVIS) on faunal