Legal Frameworks for Managing Agricultural Waste: Challenges and Impacts of Crop Residue Burning in India and Global Perspectives

Abstract: This review examines India's environmental and business compliance regulations together with other global standards to perform a critical analysis of their differences. The article demonstrates that Indian environmental legislation remains challenging because it includes two key regulations, such as the Environment Protection Act (1986) and the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act (1981). These elaborate frameworks face law enforcement challenges because they lack sufficient resources, multiple legal domains create overlap, and there is insufficient robust tracking infrastructure. The Companies Act (2013) imposes a Corporate Social Responsibility requirement on companies but provides ambiguous definitions alongside limited reporting standards. International norms, including the Paris Agreement and Environmental Directives of the European Union, together with the UN Global Compact, demand active governance systems that have clear accountability and track environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance metrics closely. These frameworks present improved regulatory enforcement methods that use new technologies, including AI and blockchain systems. The frameworks offer India opportunities to develop transparent guidelines that everyone can understand. India's processes encounter major challenges because of reduced public engagement alongside economic disparities and its typical reactive policy development style. The study demonstrates India's capability to eliminate these gaps through the adoption of worldwide best practices and technological tracking systems with public-private-citizen relationship development. The research proposes modifications to Indian legal systems that will synchronize with global standards for sustaining long-term development and strengthening government capabilities while raising international competitiveness. Participatory government, together with the circular economy, enables India to resolve environmental and business compliance issues smartly. The country will become both more responsible and resilient through these efforts.