{"id":74091,"date":"2025-11-19T11:45:00","date_gmt":"2025-11-19T06:15:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/?p=74091"},"modified":"2025-11-21T15:18:44","modified_gmt":"2025-11-21T09:48:44","slug":"balancing-environment-and-development-imperatives-sc-recalls-verdict-on-ex-post-facto-ecs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/balancing-environment-and-development-imperatives-sc-recalls-verdict-on-ex-post-facto-ecs\/","title":{"rendered":"Balancing Environment and Development Imperatives &#8211; SC Recalls Verdict on Ex Post Facto ECs"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b>Balancing Environment and Development Imperatives Latest News<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Supreme Court, <\/span><b>by a 2\u20131 majority<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, recalled its (May 16, 2025) judgment that had declared <\/span><b>retrospective <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">(ex post facto) <\/span><b>Environmental Clearances (ECs) as illegal<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and anathema to environmental law.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>The majority<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2014CJI B.R. Gavai and Justice K. Vinod Chandran\u2014held that the <\/span><b>earlier ruling would cause massive economic losses <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">and hinder critical public infrastructure.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Justice Ujjal Bhuyan dissented<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> strongly, calling the recall a \u201cretrogression\u201d and a violation of the precautionary principle.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b>Background<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A bench led by Justice A.S. Oka (now retired) and Justice Bhuyan held that<\/span><b> ex post facto ECs are illegal.<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The court had <\/span><b>struck down a 2017 notification and 2021 office memorandum (OM)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of the Union government, which in effect recognised the grant of ex post facto ECs.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The government was accused of \u201c<\/span><b>crafty drafting<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201d to regularise illegal constructions.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b>Grounds for Recall (Majority Opinion)<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Public interest and economic costs:<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">CJI Gavai emphasized devastating consequences if the earlier verdict continued.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>For example<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, 24 Central projects worth Rs. 8,293 crore and 29 State projects worth Rs. 11,168 crore were stuck.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Major projects impacted<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> &#8211; AIIMS Odisha (962-bed), Vijayanagar greenfield airport, SAIL investments, common effluent treatment plants.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Demolition <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">of such projects would <\/span><b>mean wastage<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of nearly Rs. 20,000 crore and cause livelihood loss.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>Legal precedents ignored earlier:<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The earlier ruling <\/span><b>overlooked co-equal bench decisions<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> that allowed post facto ECs in exceptional circumstances. <\/span><b>For example<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, Electrosteel Steels Ltd (2021), Pahwa Plastics (2022), D. Swamy (2022).<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>As per judicial discipline:<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A coordinate bench must refer to a larger bench if it disagrees.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The earlier verdict was therefore<\/span><b> per incuriam <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">(judicial error).<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>Penalties as deterrence:<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">2017 and 2021 rules imposed heavy penalties, ensuring &#8211; <\/span><b>polluter pays principle<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, deterrence against illegal constructions.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The majority held that retrospective ECs plus penalties can achieve compliance without demolition.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>Pollution paradox:<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Demolishing large structures may cause more pollution &#8211; debris, reconstruction emissions<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>Hence, recall is seen as protecting environmental interest indirectly.<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b>Minority Opinion &#8211; Justice Ujjal Bhuyan\u2019s Strongest Dissent<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Violation of environmental jurisprudence:<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ex post facto ECs violate &#8211; precautionary principle (core of environmental jurisprudence), sustainable development.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He termed retrospective ECs \u201c<\/span><b>anathema<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201d, i.e., a thing devoted to evil.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>Per Incuriam logic reversed:<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Earlier cases Common Cause (2017) and Alembic Pharma (2020) held that ex post facto ECs are impermissible and contrary to law.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Therefore, Electrosteel, Pahwa, and D. Swamy was per incuriam, not the earlier judgment.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Critique of \u2018false environment vs development\u2019 narrative: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He rejected the idea that environment and development are adversaries. Warned the Court is \u201c<\/span><b>backtracking on sound environmental jurisprudence<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201d.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>Rule of law and accountability:<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Builders who violated EC norms should not be rewarded.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Review petitions lacked details such as dates of construction, whether EC was originally required.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Therefore, <\/span><b>the review should have been dismissed<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>Delhi smog reminder: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Highlighted Delhi air pollution as an example of environmental degradation, and the<\/span><b> court has constitutional duty to protect the environment<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Precautionary vs polluter pays principles<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: The precautionary principle cannot be diluted by relying on polluter-pays, which is only compensatory.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b>Challenges Highlighted in the Judgment<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Conflict <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">between infrastructure development and environmental protection.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Weak compliance<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> culture among developers.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Inconsistency in judicial precedents.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Administrative lapses<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Delayed EC processes.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Environmental degradation<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Air pollution and unsustainable practices.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Risk of setting a lenient precedent encouraging violations.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b>Way Forward<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Establish clear, time-bound EC procedures:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Avoid delays that prompt developers to proceed without ECs.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Strengthen monitoring and penalties: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ensure real-time compliance, heavy penalties discouraging violations.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Harmonise judicial precedents through a larger bench<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: To resolve contradictions on ex post facto EC validity, environmental principles.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Promote sustainable infrastructure development<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: In line with precautionary principle, public interest, constitutional environmental duties.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Strengthen EIA quality and transparency:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Independent audits and public participation should be enhanced.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Balance public interest with environmental safeguards<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Critical public projects must comply with law while protecting ecology.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b>Conclusion<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The SC\u2019s recall decision <\/span><b>reflects a critical judicial balancing act<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> between environmental protection and developmental imperatives.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It underscores the need for <\/span><b>robust EC processes, clear judicial guidance, and sustainable development <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">that respects both environment and economic goals.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The matter now being placed before the CJI may pave the way for a larger bench to finally settle the legal position on ex post facto environmental clearances.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b>Source: <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/news\/national\/in-a-majority-judgment-supreme-court-recalls-own-verdict-striking-down-retrospective-environmental-clearances\/article70293459.ece#:~:text=The%20Supreme%20Court%2C%20in%20a,Chief%20Justice%20of%20India%20B.R.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><b>TH<\/b><\/a>\u00a0<b>| <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/indianexpress.com\/article\/legal-news\/supreme-court-recalls-own-order-barring-retrospective-green-nod-for-projects-10373321\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><b>IE<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The SC recalled its earlier judgment that had declared retrospective (ex post facto) Environmental Clearances (ECs) as illegal and anathema to environmental law.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":74100,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[3771],"class_list":{"0":"post-74091","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-upsc-mains-current-affairs","8":"tag-balancing-environment-and-development-imperatives","9":"no-featured-image-padding"},"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/74091","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/19"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=74091"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/74091\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/74100"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=74091"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=74091"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=74091"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}