Context: It was cleared by The Environment Ministry Forest and Climate Change a long-standing request from industries to remove the need for environmental clearance and permission to set up their Industries.

• The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), a statutory organization, was constituted in September, 1974 under the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974.
• It advises the Central Government on any matter concerning prevention and control of water and air pollution and improvement of the quality of air and also provide technical assistance and guidance to the State Boards
• State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs), set up under the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act 1974, it supervises various industries and factories carrying out different provisions present in Water Act, Air Act, and Environmental Protection Act.
• SPCB is also accountable for advising the respective State Government regarding the location of any industry, the continuing of which is likely to cause water and air pollution.
• The Central Pollution Control Board, in the year 2016, developed methodology for classifying industrial sectors and other polluting activities as Red, Orange, Green and White.

Dual Eco-Clearance: The Centre accepted a long-standing demand of the industry to remove dual compliance of Environmental Clearance (EC) and Consent to Establish (CTE) for setting up of new industries.

• Non-polluting white category industries are no longer required to take CTE or Consent to Operate (CTO) at all.
• Industrial Sectors having Pollution Index score incl.& upto 20 comes under White Category Industries.
• The Newly-introduced White category contains 36 industrial sectors which are practically non-polluting such as Biscuit trays etc. from rolled PVC sheet (using automatic vacuum forming machines), Solar power generation through photovoltaic cells, wind power and mini hydel power (less than 25 MW) etc.