SOAS Research Online

A Free Database of the Latest Research by SOAS Academics and PhD Students

[skip to content]

Dharmadhikary, Shripad (2023) 'Privatisation of Natural Resource-Based Sectors, Ease of Doing Business, and the Law.' Law Environment and Development Journal, 19 (1). pp. 1-16.

[img]
Preview
Text - Published Version
Available under License Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (CC-BY 4.0).

Download (4MB) | Preview

Abstract

In 1991, several sectors of the Indian economy which hitherto were more or less the exclusive domain of the public sector were opened up to private players, including global corporates. This was accompanied by a series of changes to the related policy, legal and regulatory regimes. This process has continued in the decades that followed. These policy, legal and regulatory changes, though mainly in the sectoral and financial domain have had significant implications for environmental, social and livelihoods impacts of activities in these sectors. This article proposes to trace some major changes in the legal, regulatory and governance frameworks which have had significant environmental, social and livelihood implications in three key sectors – water, electricity generation and coal mining. It shows how this shift in the legal regime has been driven mainly by the objective to promote “ease of doing business”, leading to neglect of social and environmental concerns. The article also documents how this thrust to prioritise business leads to more tolerance of non-compliance of environmental laws and creates pressure for their dilution. Last but not the least, the article highlights how compliance with environmental laws and regulations often needs actions that are under the purview of the financial and economic regulations and institutions. It argues for a proper understanding of this link and for designing sectoral, economic and environmental laws in a manner that they strengthen each other.

Item Type: Journal Article
SOAS Departments & Centres: School Research Centres > Law, Environment and Development Centre
SOAS Open Access Journals > Law, Environment and Development Journal (LEAD Journal)
ISSN: 17465893
DOI (Digital Object Identifier): https://doi.org/10.25501/SOAS.00039965
Date Deposited: 31 Jul 2023 09:58
URI: https://eprints.soas.ac.uk/id/eprint/39965

Altmetric Data

Statistics

Download activity - last 12 monthsShow export options
Downloads since deposit
6 month trend
45Downloads
6 month trend
41Hits
Accesses by country - last 12 monthsShow export options
Accesses by referrer - last 12 monthsShow export options

Repository staff only

Edit Item Edit Item