CSE Transparency Index

CSE Transparency Index

Part of: GS Prelims and GS- II – Governance

In news The Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), a Delhi-based non-profit, released the report ‘Transparency Index — Rating of Pollution Control Boards on Public Disclosure’. 

About CSE Transparency Index-

• There are 28 state pollution control boards (SPCB) and 6 pollution control committees (PCC) in the country that make pollution information public on websites.
• CSE has released a report/index to assess the level of transparency maintained by these SPCBs and PCCs.
• This report critically evaluates the information shared by SPCBs/PCCs during the last four-five years (2016–21) and uses several indicators that provide a broader indication on the type and amount of information shared. 

Key findings:

• Around 60% of the bodies scored less than 50% on the information disclosure parameters studied.
• Only 14 boards scored above 50% in the index.
  • They are Odisha, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Goa, Karnataka, Haryana, Chhattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Kerala, Maharashtra, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Andhra Pradesh and Rajasthan.
• The index’s analysis cited that most agencies are not transparent enough with information in the public domain.

• Information on functioning, actions taken by boards against polluting industries, public hearing data on new projects etc are rarely disclosed, or are not even available on public websites.

• TOP PERFORMERS: Pollution control boards of Odisha and Telangana (67%).
  • Tamil Nadu ranked a close second with 65.5% transparency, 
  • Madhya Pradesh ranked third (64%)
  • West Bengal ranked fourth (62%) 
  • Goa ranked fifth (60.6%).
• Only five boards including Haryana have shared minutes of their board meetings on their websites.
• Only five SPCBs including Himachal Pradesh have shared information on inspections conducted by the boards.

News Source: Outlook