Union Environment Minister chairs meeting on NIRANTAR

Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav on Monday chaired a meeting of the National Institute for Research & Application of Natural Resources to Transform, Adapt and Build Resilience (NIRANTAR), a platform of institutions under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) aimed at improving coordination and collaboration.

Highlighting the strategic importance of natural resources, the Minister said that today’s geopolitics largely rests on natural resources and their utilisation. He said, “Our strength lies in our natural resources, particularly bio resources”, adding that while India has advanced in manufacturing, data, software and other industrial sectors, four essentials of life i.e. food, medicine, energy and oil ultimately emanate from nature.

Stressing that India has a large repository of natural resources, Shri Yadav said there was a need for balanced, suitable and wise utilisation of these resources. The country must make a “balanced policy for environmental protection and industrial development”, he noted.(updated on 12th january 2026)

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