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Supreme Court flags vehicular emissions as a major source of Delhi's polluted air
खबर में क्यों?
Beyond firecrackers: the Article 21 link that makes Delhi's vehicle smog a GS2 and GS3 question
The Supreme Court points to vehicular emissions in Delhi's air pollution.
Why it matters: GS-2 core; factual, Prelims-type
What you need to know
2 मिनट
Going beyond the Deepavali air-quality debate, the Supreme Court has flagged vehicular emissions as a key cause of Delhi's polluted air.
The Court has long read the right to a clean environment into the right to life under Article 21.
The observation turns attention from seasonal firecracker bans to year-round sources.
स्रोत: Topper IAS editorial (PIB / The Hindu / Indian Express)
मुख्य तथ्य
Remember these
- The Supreme Court has flagged vehicular emissions as a key cause of Delhi's polluted air.
- The Court reads the right to a clean environment into the right to life under Article 21.
- The observation shifts focus from seasonal firecracker bans to year-round pollution sources.
- Article 48A (Directive Principle) directs the State to protect and improve the environment.
- Article 51A(g) makes protecting the natural environment a Fundamental Duty of citizens.
प्रीलिम्स · मेन्स
How the exam will ask it
प्रीलिम्स
- Statement: The right to a pollution-free environment has been read into Article 21 by the Supreme Court through judicial interpretation.
- Statement: Article 48A, a Directive Principle, is enforceable in court in the same way as a fundamental right. (Incorrect: DPSPs are non-justiciable.)
- Statement: Article 51A(g) places a Fundamental Duty on citizens to protect and improve the natural environment.
मेन्स
GS Paper 2 (Judiciary) and GS Paper 3 (Environment). Issue: Delhi's air stays toxic beyond the Deepavali window, and the Court now points to vehicular emissions. Provision: Article 21 read with Article 48A and 51A(g) supports judicial intervention. Implication: seasonal firecracker bans are not enough; way forward is cleaner fuels, public transport, emission norms and enforcement, balanced against judicial overreach concerns.
Quick recall
Answer before you reveal
The Supreme Court has repeatedly held that the right to a pollution-free environment forms part of the right to life under which provision of the Constitution?
- Article 14
- Article 21
- Article 19
- Article 48A
उत्तर देखें
उत्तर: B — Correct: Article 21 — Article 21 protects life and personal liberty, and the Court reads a clean environment into it. • Article 14 — wrong: Article 14 guarantees equality before law, not the environmental right as such. • Article 19 — wrong: Article 19 lists freedoms such as speech and movement; it is not the source of the environmental right. • Article 48A — wrong: Article 48A is a Directive Principle on protecting the environment, which is not enforceable like a fundamental right.
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