INDIAN PLANNING ACTS, POLICIES & ENVIRONMENTAL LAWS [ Town Planning Exam] ATP/AA

Planning Acts, Policies & Environmental Laws in India (Notes + 50 MCQ)

This post summarises key Indian planning acts, constitutional provisions, Five Year Plan directions, and environmental laws (Water, Air, EPA, EIA, etc.) with 50 practice MCQs for DDA / ATP / urban planning and architecture exams.
Quick Index

Revision Notes – Acts, Policies & Planning Framework

1. Early Planning & Improvement Legislation

  • Municipal Acts (19th century) – introduced basic urban governance (sanitation, streets, taxation).
  • Improvement Trusts (late 19th–early 20th c.):
    • Set up in Presidency towns and major cities for slum clearance, road widening, new layouts.
    • Examples: Bombay Improvement Trust (1898), Calcutta Improvement Trust (1911) etc.
  • Bombay Town Planning Act, 1915 – generally considered the first modern town planning act in India.
    • Introduced Town Planning Schemes (TPS), land reconstitution, betterment levy.
  • Later replaced by Bombay Town Planning Act, 1954 and then integrated into MRTP Act, 1966.

2. Post-Independence Town Planning Acts

  • Maharashtra Regional and Town Planning (MRTP) Act, 1966
    • Provides for Regional Plans, Development Plans and Town Planning Schemes.
    • Key tools: zoning, development control regulations, reservations for public purposes, TDR (through later amendments).
  • Delhi Development Act, 1957
    • Created the Delhi Development Authority (DDA).
    • Mandates preparation of Master Plan for Delhi and zonal plans; controls development through permissions.
  • State Town & Country Planning Acts (generic features)
    • Provide statutory base for master plans / development plans.
    • Define planning authorities, development control, land use zoning, subdivision regulations.

3. Land Acquisition & Urban Land Acts

  • Land Acquisition Act, 1894
    • British-era law for compulsory acquisition for “public purpose”.
    • Came under criticism for low compensation and weak rehabilitation.
  • Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement (RFCTLARR) Act, 2013
    • Replaced LAA 1894 at national level.
    • Emphasises Social Impact Assessment (SIA), higher compensation, R&R provisions.
    • Consent requirements in PPP and private projects (varies by category).
  • Urban Land (Ceiling and Regulation) Act (ULCRA), 1976
    • Aimed to prevent concentration of urban land in few hands and speculative holding.
    • Fixed ceiling limits; surplus land to be acquired by State.
    • Later repealed / relaxed in many states due to implementation issues.

4. 74th Constitutional Amendment Act (1992) & 12th Schedule

  • 74th CAA, 1992 – came into force in 1993; constitutionalised Urban Local Bodies (ULBs).
  • Types of Municipalities (Article 243Q):
    • Nagar Panchayat – transitional area (rural → urban).
    • Municipal Council – smaller urban area.
    • Municipal Corporation – larger urban area.
  • Key provisions:
    • Five-year fixed term; regular elections.
    • Reservation of seats for SC/ST and women (not less than one-third of total seats).
    • State Finance Commission (SFC) – recommends devolution of financial resources.
    • District Planning Committee (DPC) – for district-level integrated planning.
    • Metropolitan Planning Committee (MPC) – for metropolitan areas (>10 lakh population).
  • 12th Schedule – lists 18 functions that may be devolved to municipalities, e.g.:
    • Urban planning including town planning.
    • Regulation of land-use and construction of buildings.
    • Roads and bridges; Water supply; Public health, sanitation, solid waste management.
    • Urban forestry, environmental protection, slum improvement, poverty alleviation, urban amenities, etc.

5. Environmental Laws Relevant to Urban Planning

  • Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974
    • First major pollution control law; establishes Central and State Pollution Control Boards.
    • Regulates discharge of pollutants into water bodies; requires consent for discharge.
  • Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981
    • Extends pollution control to air; empowers boards to set standards and monitor emissions.
  • Environment (Protection) Act (EPA), 1986
    • Umbrella legislation enacted after Bhopal disaster (1984).
    • Gives Central Government wide powers to issue rules for environment protection.
    • Basis for many notifications: EIA Notification, CRZ Notification, waste rules, etc.
  • Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)
    • EIA Notification 2006 (under EPA 1986) – core framework for prior environmental clearance.
    • Classifies projects into categories (A/B), requires scoping, public hearing, mitigation measures.
    • Important for large urban projects – townships, area development, infrastructure, highways.
  • Other important environmental / conservation acts (for exam one-liners)
    • Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 – protected areas, schedules for flora/fauna.
    • Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 – central approval for diversion of forest land.
    • Biological Diversity Act, 2002 – conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity.
    • National Green Tribunal (NGT) Act, 2010 – specialised environmental court for speedy adjudication.
    • Solid Waste / Plastic Waste / Construction & Demolition Waste Management Rules – under EPA.

6. Key Urban Policies, Missions & Five Year Plan Direction

  • National Housing Policy (various versions)
    • 1988, 1994, later policies – “Housing for All”, role of private sector, slum improvement, etc.
  • National Urban Transport Policy (NUTP), 2006
    • Shifts focus from “moving vehicles” to “moving people”.
    • Promotes public transport, NMT (walking & cycling), integration of land use and transport.
  • JNNURM, 2005
    • Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission – city-level infrastructure, reforms, urban governance.
  • AMRUT, 2015 – Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation; focus on water supply, sewerage, drainage, green spaces.
  • Smart Cities Mission, 2015 – area-based development + pan-city ICT interventions.
  • Five Year Plans – quick high-yield points
    • First FYP (1951–56) – focus on agriculture and rehabilitation; beginnings of industrial & infrastructure investment.
    • Second FYP (1956–61) – Nehru–Mahalanobis model, heavy industry; growth of public sector and steel plants; creation of new industrial townships.
    • Fourth & Fifth Plans – poverty alleviation, basic needs; increasing attention to urban poverty & slums.
    • Seventh–Eighth Plans – rise of metropolitan concerns; first major urban sector programmes.
    • Twelfth FYP (2012–17) – theme of “Faster, More Inclusive and Sustainable Growth”; strong emphasis on:
      • Urban infrastructure deficit and municipal finance.
      • Integrated land use–transport planning.
      • Inclusive urbanisation (housing, basic services for urban poor).

MCQ Practice – Planning Acts, 74th CAA, Environment Laws & Policies (50 Questions)

Attempt all 50 questions and then click “Check Answers”. You will see your total score and per-question green/red feedback with correct options.

1. The first modern Town Planning Act in India, introducing Town Planning Schemes, is generally considered to be:

2. The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) was created under which Act?

3. The MRTP Act, 1966 is mainly associated with which state?

4. Under the MRTP Act, which of the following is not a typical statutory plan?

5. The 74th Constitutional Amendment Act was passed in:

6. Under Article 243Q, which of the following is not a category of urban local body?

7. How many functions are listed in the 12th Schedule of the Constitution?

8. Which of the following functions is explicitly included in the 12th Schedule?

9. The body constituted at district level for preparing integrated district plans is:

10. The RFCTLARR Act, 2013 replaced which earlier law?

11. A key feature of RFCTLARR Act, 2013 is:

12. The main objective of the Urban Land (Ceiling and Regulation) Act, 1976 was to:

13. Which of the following is the umbrella legislation under which EIA notification has been issued?

14. The Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act was enacted in:

15. Which Act established the Central and State Pollution Control Boards for air quality management?

16. The National Green Tribunal (NGT) primarily deals with:

17. Assertion (A): The Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 gives wide powers to the Central Government to protect the environment.
Reason (R): It was enacted after the Bhopal gas tragedy highlighted gaps in the legal framework.

18. Assertion (A): Under the 74th CAA, at least one-third of the total number of seats in a municipality are reserved for women.
Reason (R): The Amendment aimed at strengthening political representation of women in urban local bodies.

19. Which of the following functions is not listed in the 12th Schedule?

20. Match the Act and its main focus:

1. Water Act, 1974
2. Air Act, 1981
3. Wildlife Protection Act, 1972
4. Forest Conservation Act, 1980
a. Air pollution   b. Conservation of wildlife species   c. Diversion of forest land   d. Water pollution

21. EIA Notification, 2006 deals primarily with:

22. In EIA process, which of the following steps is generally required for major projects?

23. The National Urban Transport Policy (NUTP) emphasises:

24. JNNURM was launched mainly to:

25. AMRUT focuses primarily on:

26. The overarching theme of the Twelfth Five Year Plan (2012–17) was:

27. Which of the following is not correctly matched?

28. The State Finance Commission (SFC) is constituted to:

29. Under the 74th CAA, a metropolitan area is defined as an area with population of:

30. The main purpose of a Metropolitan Planning Committee (MPC) is to:

31. Which Act is most directly related to biodiversity conservation at national level?

32. Which of the following is not an environmental law?

33. In context of planning history, Improvement Trusts were mainly created to:

34. Which of the following correctly lists only urban sector missions/policies?

35. Match the constitutional instrument and its main concern:

1. 73rd CAA   2. 74th CAA   3. 11th Schedule   4. 12th Schedule
a. Rural local government   b. Urban local government   c. Panchayat functions   d. Municipal functions

36. Which Five Year Plan is most closely associated with the heavy industry strategy (Nehru–Mahalanobis)?

37. Which of the following statements about JNNURM is not correct?

38. In the context of EIA, “mitigation measures” refer to:

39. Which of the following is not an objective of the 74th CAA?

40. Which of the following is not directly related to water conservation but may affect it indirectly?

41. Which planning instrument is used in MRTP-type legislation to pool and reconstitute land for urban infrastructure?

42. Assertion (A): The Twelfth Five Year Plan highlighted the need to strengthen municipal finances.
Reason (R): Urban infrastructure demands and service obligations of ULBs have increased significantly.

43. Which of the following is not correct with regard to Metropolitan Planning Committees?

44. Match the mission/policy and its core focus:

1. AMRUT   2. Smart Cities Mission   3. NUTP   4. JNNURM
a. Urban water and sewerage   b. Area-based development & ICT   c. Moving people not vehicles   d. Urban infrastructure & reforms

45. Which of the following is a key reform agenda common to JNNURM and later missions?

46. Which of the following species-protection laws is most relevant for planning near national parks?

47. In which of the following situations is EIA most directly required?

48. Which of the following statements about ULCRA is correct?

49. For exam purposes, why is the 74th CAA particularly important for urban planning?

50. For planners, the combination of EPA 1986 + EIA 2006 is important because:

Score: – / 50
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