Shekhar Singh Collections


Appraisal and Evaluation



Much of my work as a researcher, activist, and general busybody, involved appraising proposed activities and projects, and evaluating ongoing and completed ones. That is why many of the documents located under other heads in this collection, like “Large Dams”, “Andaman & Nicobar Islands”, and the sub heads of “Biodiversity” and “Forests”, under the head “Environment & Forests”, also contain material related to appraisal and evaluation, and to get a comprehensive picture they should also be looked at.

Apart from occasional invitation to help appraise or evaluate projects and activities, specifically I chaired the environmental appraisal committee of the ministry of environment and forests, Government of India, for thermal power projects, and was a member of the appraisal committee for river valley projects. I am a member of the narmada control authority’s (NCA) environmental sub group (ESG), and, in this capacity, have been both appraising proposed, and evaluating ongoing, and completed segments, of the Narmada project, involving many large, medium and small dams across three states of India.

I also had the opportunity, in early 1990s, of setting up and heading the environment and forest division of the planning commission of India. One of the important responsibilities of this division was to appraise the proposed large government investments across the country in terms of their impact on forests and the environment. It then decided whether to approve, modify and approve, or disapprove them. The planning commission also evaluated, on a sample basis, completed projects and activities


Shekhar Singh

Documents under Appraisal and Evaluation


1986 - Health Care and Family Welfare Project, Tamil Nadu, India - Final Evaluation Report

1986 - Health Care and Family Welfare Project, Tamil Nadu, India - Final Evaluation Report Download




1992 - Environmental Sustainability and Industrial Development

1992 - Environmental Sustainability and Industrial Development Download




1993 - Social and Environmental Impacts of Power Projects

1993 - Social and Environmental Impacts of Power Projects Download




1998 - Environmental Issues in the Energy Sector

1998 - Environmental Issues in the Energy Sector Download




1998 - Dams, Conditional Environmental Clearances and the Pari-Passu Clause

1998 - Dams, Conditional Environmental Clearances and the Pari-Passu Clause Download






1999 - GEF ops4 - Comments of the Senior Independent Evaluation Advisors

1999 - GEF ops4 - Comments of the Senior Independent Evaluation Advisors Download





2000-Interim Assessment of Biodiversity Enabling Activities

Interim Assessment of Biodiversity Enabling Activities   View   Download





2001 – Biodiversity Programme Study

2001 – Biodiversity Programme Study   View   Download





2003-Linking of Rivers – Submission to Prime Minister

2003-Linking of Rivers – Submission to Prime Minister Download





2004-Allain Duhangan Hydroelectric Project-Report of the Public Hearings

Allain Duhangan Hydroelectric Project-Report of the Public Hearings Download




2005 - Joint letter on Environmental Impact Assessment committes’ composition

An open letter. Signed by 27 activists, addressed to the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India, raising concerns
about the inappropriate and imbalanced membership of the critical impact assessment committees. Download





2007- Report of the Planning Commission Task Force on EIAs

2007- Report of the Planning Commission Task Force on EIAs   View   Download





2011-Evolution and Implementation of Environmental Policy in India - Performance of the
Congress Led National Governments in India

Evolution and Implementation of Environmental Policy in India - Performance of the Congress Led National Governments in India Download




2013 - Social Impact Assessment Policy and Legal framework in India

This note was written in 2013 to feed into the ongoing national debate on social impact assessment Download





2016 - Turning Policy Into Law - A New Initiative on Social Impact Assessment in India

2016 - Turning Policy Into Law - A New Initiative on Social Impact Assessment in India Download





2017 - Environmental and Social-Safeguards in India - A Critical Assessment

2017 - Environmental and Social-Safeguards in India - A Critical Assessment Download




2022 - Ethics and Evaluation

A discussion on the ethical principles relevant to the evaluation of projects and activities. Download





Appraisal and Evaluation
Relevant Unpublished/Out-of-print Documents by Other Authors


2005 - Public Participation - But for What Purpose

A detailed assessment by Terri Martin (Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance) of the methods and value of public participation in assessment processes,
with special reference to the proposed Allain Duhangan project near Manali, Himachal Pradesh, India. Download