The Expert Appraisal Committees

In one line

The committee that screens, scopes and appraises a project has at most fifteen members, its Member Secretary included, and it cannot decide anything.

In the wording a student can write in an examination: paragraph 5 of the Environmental Impact Assessment Notification 2006 provides that the same Expert Appraisal Committees at the Central Government and the State Expert Appraisal Committees at the State or Union territory level shall screen, scope and appraise projects in Category A and Category B respectively; that they shall meet at least once every month; that their composition shall be as given in Appendix VI; that they shall be reconstituted after every four years, the State Government initiating the reconstitution of a State committee six months before expiry; that a Standing Committee on Environment Impact Appraisal for each State or Union territory shall discharge the functions of a State committee that is non-functional; that their authorised members may inspect any site connected with a project on seven days' notice to the applicant; and that they shall function on the principle of collective responsibility, the Chairperson endeavouring to reach a consensus, and the view of the majority prevailing if consensus cannot be reached.

What the committees do

The same committee does three of the four stages. Screening for Category B, scoping and appraisal. Public consultation, the third stage, is conducted by the State Pollution Control Board and not by the committee, and the committee then appraises its outcome.

And it does not decide. The committee makes categorical recommendations to the regulatory authority for grant on stipulated terms and conditions, or for rejection, together with reasons. The Ministry or the State Authority decides.

How often it meets. At least once every month. That is one of the very few frequency requirements anywhere in Indian environmental subordinate legislation, and it is there because a monthly cycle is what makes the notification's time limits achievable.

Site inspection. The authorised members may inspect any site connected with the project for screening, scoping or appraisal, on at least seven days' notice to the applicant, who shall provide the necessary facilities.

And one committee may serve more than one State. The Central Government may, with the prior concurrence of the State Governments concerned, constitute one State Expert Appraisal Committee for more than one State or Union territory, for reasons of administrative convenience and cost.

Who may sit on it

Appendix VI sets eligibility criteria and they are examinable because they are unusually precise. It was replaced by S.O. 3862(E) of 13 July 2026, and its title now names the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority as well as the Expert Appraisal Committee and the State committees.

Qualification. Five years of formal education leading to an MA, MSc, MBA or LLM degree, or a prescribed apprenticeship or articleship leading to qualification as a chartered accountant; or, in engineering, technology or architecture, four years of formal education in a professional course leading to a B.Tech, B.E. or B.Arch. degree; or, for Civil Service officers, two years of formal training in a Service Academy.