Commissioner: Jairam Ramesh

“Air and water pollution, chemical contamination, and land degradation are becoming so severe in India that we are talking about existential risks now. India must show to the world a new approach that protects the environment at the same time as you grow economically.”

Jairam Ramesh is a Member of the Upper House of the Indian Parliament. (Bio below)


Jairam Ramesh is a Member of the Upper House of the Indian Parliament. He was Minister of Rural Development, Government of India (2011-2014); Minister of Drinking Water and Sanitation (2011-12); Minister of State (Independent Charge), Minister in the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India (2009-2011), and Minister of State of Commerce and Power (2006-2009). He played a pivotal role at the climate change accord negotiations at Copenhagen (2009) and Cancun (2010). Jairam Ramesh is a noted author and has been a key promoter of the Centre of Environmental Health established last year in New Delhi.


The Commission on Pollution and Health is an initiative of The Lancet, the Global Alliance on Health and Pollution (GAHP), and the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Commissioners include many of the world’s leading researchers and practitioners in the fields of pollution management, environmental health and sustainable development.  

Partnering to Solve Pollution Problems