In India, the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 was amended in which year to classify noise as an air pollutant under the Act?

Introduction / Context:
Environmental legislation in India has gradually expanded to cover different forms of pollution, including air, water, and noise. The Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act was originally passed in 1981 to address air quality issues. Later, an amendment brought noise within the definition of air pollution for regulatory purposes. This question checks whether you know the year in which that key amendment took place.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The base law is the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981.
• The focus is on an amendment that added noise as an air pollutant.
• Options include the years 1987, 1992, 1997, 2007, and 2017.
• We assume general knowledge of how environmental laws have evolved in India.

Concept / Approach:
Initially, the Air Act primarily targeted traditional air pollutants such as smoke, dust, and harmful gases. However, policymakers soon recognised that noise pollution, caused by industrial activity, traffic, and loudspeakers, also affects human health and the environment. To strengthen regulation, Parliament passed an amendment to the Air Act in 1987. This amendment expanded the legal definition of air pollutant to include noise, bringing enforcement against noise under the same regulatory framework that controlled other air pollutants through Pollution Control Boards.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Note that the original Act dates from 1981, so the amendment must be after that year. Step 2: Recall that many environmental law strengthening measures occurred in the mid to late 1980s, especially after industrial disasters and rising awareness. Step 3: Remember that 1987 is widely identified in exam oriented materials as the year when the Air Act was amended to include noise as a pollutant. Step 4: Choose 1987 from the options as the correct amendment year.

Verification / Alternative check:
Environmental law summaries and competitive exam guides consistently state that the Air Act was amended in 1987 to include noise in the definition of air pollution. This change allowed authorities to take action against noise polluters using the same enforcement tools that applied to other air pollutants. Later rules, like the Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules, built on this foundation, but the key Act level inclusion occurred in 1987, not in 1997 or 2007.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
1992 and 1997: These years saw other environmental developments but not the original Air Act amendment that brought noise into its scope. 2007 and 2017: These dates are far removed from the core legislative wave of the 1980s and relate to later environmental policies, not this basic definition change. Therefore, they are distractors and do not match the specific amendment asked about.

Common Pitfalls:
Students sometimes confuse various environmental laws and remember only that amendments happened but not their exact years. There can also be confusion between the Air Act and specific noise rules framed under other legal provisions. The safest approach is to connect 1981 with the original Air Act and 1987 with the amendment that expanded the definition of air pollutant to include noise, which is a frequently tested pairing in environment and ecology sections.

Final Answer:
1987