Professional Consulting

DGFT (Directorate General of Foreign Trade):

The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) organisation is an attached office of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry and is headed by the Director-General of Foreign Trade. Right from its inception till 1991, when liberalization in the economic policies of the Government took place, this organization has been essentially involved in the regulation and promotion of foreign trade through regulation. Keeping in line with liberalization and globalization and the overall objective of increasing exports, DGFT has since been assigned the role of “facilitator”. The shift was from prohibition and control of imports/exports to promotion and facilitation of exports/imports, keeping in view the interests of the country.

Organizational Set-up:

This Directorate, with headquarters in New Delhi, is responsible for formulating and implementing the Foreign Trade Policy with the main objective of promoting India’s exports. The DGFT also issues scrips/authorization to exporters and monitors their corresponding obligations through a network of 24 regional offices. The regional offices are located in Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Coimbatore, Delhi, Ernakulam (Kochi), Guwahati, Hyderabad, Indore, Jaipur, Jammu, Kanpur, Kolkata, Ludhiana, Mumbai, Nagpur, Panipat, Pune, Rajkot, Srinagar, Surat, Vadodara, Varanasi, and Visakhapatnam.

MOEF (Ministry of Environment & Forests):

The Ministry of Environment & Forests is primarily concerned with planning, promotion, coordination, and overseeing the implementation of the various environmental and forestry policies and programs.

The broad objectives of the Ministry are:

• Conservation and Survey of flora, fauna, forests, and wildlife,
• Prevention and control of pollution,
• Afforestation and regeneration of degraded areas, and
• Protection of the environment.

These objectives are sought to be fulfilled by the Ministry through:

• environmental impact assessment,
• Eco-regeneration,
• assistance to organisations implementing environmental and forestry programs,
• promotion of environmental and forestry research, extension, education, and training,
• dissemination of environmental information,
• international cooperation, and
• creation of environmental awareness among all sectors of the country’s population.

In export-import trade, permission from the Ministry of Environment and Forest is required if such export or import goods contain hazardous wastes. In India, MoEF (Ministry of Environment and Forest) is the licensing authority to issue such certification.

CPCB (The Central Pollution Control Board):

The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the statutory organisation, was constituted in September 1974 under the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974. Further, CPCB was entrusted with the powers and functions under the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981.

It serves as a field formation and also provides technical services to the Ministry of Environment and Forests of the provisions of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. Principal Functions of the CPCB, as spelled out in the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, and the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981, (i) to promote the cleanliness of streams and wells in different areas of the States by prevention, control and abatement of water pollution, and (ii) to improve the quality of air and to prevent, control or abate air pollution in the country.

Functions of the Central Board at the National Level:

• Advise the Central Government on any matter concerning prevention and control of water and air pollution and improvement of the quality of air.
• Plan and cause to be executed a nation-wide program for the prevention, control, or abatement of water and air pollution;
• Coordinate the activities of the State Board and resolve disputes among them;
• Provide technical assistance and guidance to the State Boards, carry out and sponsor investigation and research relating to problems of water and air pollution, and for their prevention, control or abatement;
• Plan and organise training of persons engaged in programme on the prevention, control, or abatement of water and air pollution;
• Organise through mass media, a comprehensive mass awareness programme on the prevention, control, or abatement of water and air pollution;
• Collect, compile and publish technical and statistical data relating to water and air pollution and the measures devised for their effective prevention, control, or abatement;
• Prepare manuals, codes, and guidelines relating to treatment and disposal of sewage and trade effluents as well as for stack gas cleaning devices, stacks, and ducts;
• Disseminate information in respect of matters relating to water and air pollution and their prevention and control;
• Lay down, modify or annul, in consultation with the State Governments concerned, the standards for stream or well, and lay down standards for the quality of air; and
• Perform such other functions as may be prescribed by the Government of India.