{"id":79204,"date":"2025-12-23T11:26:16","date_gmt":"2025-12-23T05:56:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/?p=79204"},"modified":"2025-12-23T11:26:16","modified_gmt":"2025-12-23T05:56:16","slug":"right-to-a-healthy-environment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/right-to-a-healthy-environment\/","title":{"rendered":"Right to a Healthy Environment in India &#8211; Explained"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Healthy Environment Latest News<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Rising air pollution in Delhi-NCR has renewed debate on recognising the right to a healthy environment as an explicit constitutional right.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Background: Environmental Degradation and Public Health<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">India faces recurring environmental crises, particularly during winter months, when air pollution levels in Delhi-NCR deteriorate sharply due to vehicular emissions, industrial activity, fossil fuel use, construction dust, waste burning, and agricultural residue burning.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These conditions severely affect public health, leading to respiratory illnesses, cardiovascular diseases, and reduced life expectancy.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The persistent nature of such crises has highlighted gaps in policy enforcement and raised questions about the legal responsibility of the State to protect environmental health.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Particulate Matter and Health Risks<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Among various pollutants, particulate matter is considered the most harmful. <\/span><b>PM10<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> particles can enter the respiratory system, while finer <\/span><b>PM2.5<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> particles penetrate deep into the lungs and bloodstream.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Diesel particulate matter, a sub-category of PM2.5, is especially toxic and poses serious risks to children and vulnerable populations.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In response to worsening air quality, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has strengthened the <\/span><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/graded-response-action-plan\/\" target=\"_blank\">Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP)<\/a><\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, mandating school closures and staggered office timings during severe pollution phases, indicating growing administrative recognition of environmental health risks.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Constitutional Basis of Environmental Protection<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Although the original Constitution did not explicitly guarantee environmental rights, judicial interpretation has expanded the scope of <\/span><b>Article 21 <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">(Right to Life) to include the right to a clean and healthy environment.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This interpretation was gradually developed through landmark judgments, beginning with <\/span><b><i>Maneka Gandhi v. Union of India<\/i><\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (1978), which broadened the meaning of \u201clife\u201d beyond mere physical existence.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Subsequently, constitutional amendments strengthened environmental responsibility.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Article 48A<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (Directive Principles) places a duty on the State to protect and improve the environment, while <\/span><b>Article 51A(g)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> imposes a fundamental duty on citizens to safeguard natural resources.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Together, these provisions create a shared constitutional obligation toward environmental protection.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Role of Judiciary and Public Interest Litigation<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Since the mid-1980s, rapid industrialisation and liberalisation have intensified environmental degradation, prompting judicial intervention.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The judiciary has played a proactive role by using Public Interest Litigations (PILs) under <\/span><b>Articles 32 and 226<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to address environmental harm.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Courts have consistently balanced development needs with environmental sustainability, reinforcing the idea that economic growth cannot come at the cost of ecological destruction.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/environment-protection-act-1986\/\" target=\"_blank\"><b>Environment (Protection) Act, 1986<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, further strengthens this framework by defining the environment as an interconnected system of air, water, land, and living beings.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Judicial rulings have clarified that the right to live with dignity includes the right to pollution-free air and water, making environmental protection an enforceable legal concern.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Environmental Principles in Indian Jurisprudence<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Indian environmental law has adopted key global principles to deal with ecological harm.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The principle of absolute liability was introduced to address industrial disasters involving hazardous substances, ensuring that enterprises bear full responsibility for damage regardless of fault.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The precautionary principle requires preventive action even in the absence of scientific certainty, while the polluter pays principle mandates that polluters bear the cost of environmental damage.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These principles, affirmed by the judiciary, emphasise prevention, accountability, and sustainable development as core governance values.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Public Trust Doctrine and State Responsibility<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The public trust doctrine reinforces the idea that natural resources are held by the State in trust for the people.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Under this doctrine, the State cannot exploit environmental resources for private or commercial gain at the cost of public interest.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Constitutional provisions under <\/span><b>Article 39<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> further support community ownership of material resources and equitable distribution for public welfare.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Recent judicial recognition of climate change impacts has expanded environmental rights further.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Supreme Court\u2019s acknowledgement of protection against adverse climate effects as part of <\/span><b>Articles 21 and 14<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> reflects the evolving nature of environmental constitutionalism in India.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Need for Explicit Constitutional Recognition<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Despite progressive judicial interpretation, the absence of an explicit fundamental right to a healthy environment limits enforceability.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Since rights must be linked to Part III for direct claims, the article argues for formally incorporating the right to a clean and healthy environment into the Constitution.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Such recognition would clearly define State accountability and citizen responsibility, strengthening environmental governance in an era of climate uncertainty.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Source:<\/b> <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/news\/national\/on-the-right-to-a-healthy-environment\/article70425821.ece\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">TH<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The right to a healthy environment in India has evolved through constitutional interpretation, judicial activism, and environmental jurisprudence.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":21,"featured_media":79207,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[4362,60,22,59],"class_list":{"0":"post-79204","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-upsc-mains-current-affairs","8":"tag-healthy-environment","9":"tag-mains-articles","10":"tag-upsc-current-affairs","11":"tag-upsc-mains-current-affairs","12":"no-featured-image-padding"},"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/79204","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\/21"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=79204"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/79204\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/79207"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=79204"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=79204"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=79204"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}