In which of the following years, the Environment (Protection) Act passed by the Government of India ?

Correct answer: B) 1986. The Environment (Protection) Act was enacted in 1986, passed in the wake of the Bhopal Gas Tragedy of December 1984, which exposed the gaps in the existing pollution laws.

Why the others are wrong:

• A) 1982: No major central environment law was enacted in this year. The Air Act came in 1981 and the Forest Conservation Act in 1980, so 1982 is a near miss.
• C) 1990: Not the year of this Act. The Environment Protection Rules were framed under the 1986 Act and notified later, so do not let the rules' dates mislead you.
• D) 1992: This is the year of the Rio Earth Summit, which many aspirants link with Indian environmental law. The Act itself predates it.

Core concept: the EPA, 1986 is an umbrella law. It empowers the Centre to take all measures to protect and improve the environment, coordinate state agencies, set emission and discharge standards, and impose penalties. It fills the gaps left by the Water Act, 1974 and the Air Act, 1981. For Mains, it is a good example of how a disaster can drive legislative reform.

Trap: confusing the EPA, 1986 with the Water Act, 1974 or the Air Act, 1981, or with the 1992 Rio Summit.