Bhupender Yadav on Tuesday took charge as the Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. He had held the same portfolio in the previous Modi government after taking it over from Prakash Javadekar in July 2021.
After assuming the charge, Yadav said that he would work with full readiness to discharge the responsibilities of the important ministry.
“I express my gratitude to PM Modi that he has given me the responsibility of an important ministry. I will work with full readiness to discharge this responsibility,” he told reporters.
“Mission LIFE was started by PM Modi in the Glasgow COP as a very big action program for the environmental crisis in the world. Today, Mission LIFE is going on all over the world with the help of sustainable development and mindful consumption. PM Modi’s ‘Ek ped maa ke naam’ campaign should be done with utmost responsibility to keep our Earth green. Many steps have been taken by this ministry in the last 10 years under the leadership of PM Modi and we are moving ahead taking environment and development together,” he added.
As the Environment Minister in the second Modi government, Bhupender Yadav was known for his strong defense of India’s dependence on coal at international climate talks.
He has had many achievements when he held the portfolio previously. One of them was when India’s climate actions were rated the fourth strongest in an annual performance index released by Germanwatch in 2023, up one place from the previous year.
Reintroduction of cheetahs in India, a ban on identified single-use plastic items, and an increase in Ramsar sites in India are other achievements of the ministry under his stewardship.
He was at the helm, when India made crucial amendments to forest, wildlife and environmental laws. Yadav’s role as environment minister will be crucial with the country proposing to host the international climate talks (COP33) in 2028.
In the 2024 Lok Sabha election, he won Rajasthan’s Alwar constituency defeating Congress’ Lalit Yadav with a margin of 48,282 votes. This was his first contest in a Lok Sabha election.
He contested his first general election after serving as a party office-bearer for over two decades. From Rajasthan, Yadav has previously been a Rajya Sabha member representing the state since 2012, with a reelection in April 2018.
