As of the UGC NET examination held on 19 June 2023, when had the Environment…

Concept

For a question about when a statute was last amended, first fix the relevant date and distinguish the principal Act from later rules, notifications, or amendments that took effect afterward.

The controlling evidence is the amendment history of the principal Act as it stood on that date, preferably read from the official statutory text or the examination authority’s key.

Application

This item comes from the UGC NET examination of 19 June 2023. The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change's official Environment Protection page states that the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 was last amended in 1991, and the NTA final answer key for this paper confirms 1991. Therefore the applicable year among the offered values is 1991.

Cross-check and contrast

• 1990 precedes the recorded 1991 amendment.

• 1991 is the amendment year recorded in the Act’s amendment history at the examination date.

• 1992 follows that recorded amendment and is not listed as a later amendment of the principal Act at the examination date.

• 1993 likewise follows that recorded amendment and is not listed as a later amendment of the principal Act at the examination date.

Result

Thus, for the date fixed by this 2023 examination item, the answer is 1991.