Supreme Court shifts focus to balance growth and nature

Chief Justice of India Surya Kant stated on Saturday that Indian courts now focus on how to balance and sustain both development and conservation together. Speaking on four decades of environmental rulings by the Supreme Court, the Chief Justice described the top court as the banyan tree of environmental justice. He noted that the judicial approach has moved toward eco-centric proportionality, which permits development only when paired with proper safeguards and accountability. The Chief Justice also remarked that progress without preservation is merely a mirage that disappears into ecological ruin, adding that there is no single constitutional path for protecting the environment.