PUBLIC PARTICIPATION IN ENVIRONMENTAL GOVERNANCE FOR RURAL DEVELOPMENT IN INDIA: A DISCUSSION

Public participation is an essential aspect of environmental governance.It is based on the idea of ecological justice and inclusive decision-making.The essence of public participation is captured through the meaningful involvement of communities that are directly or indirectly affected by decisions taken by the authorities concerned and those that are involved in governance.The challenges these communities encounter often have social and legal implications.This article first covers the conceptual framework of public participation, discussing the principle in light of the legal right in environmental governance.Thereafter, the legal foundations of public participation in rural environmental governance have been elaborated, followed by a discussion of institutional mechanisms and judicial activism in this regard.Through this discussion, the author has tried to give a glimpse of the participatory nature of the rural environmental governance in India that plays a pivotal role in the rural development of the country.