Supreme Court to decide on fate of Bharat Stage VI vehicles in NCR next week
The announcement was made after a plea raising the question was mentioned before a bench of Chief Justice of India B R Gavai and Justice Vinod Chandran.
Seeking an urgent hearing, the counsel who mentioned it said the Supreme Court itself had set the periods for which the vehicles can ply, and so the court's direction was needed for any modification.
To fight air pollution, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) had in 2015 ordered that diesel vehicles older than 10 years and petrol vehicles older than 15 years should not be allowed to run in the NCR.
This was subsequently upheld by the Supreme Court in 2018.
The Delhi Government had recently tried to implement this rule, but the attempt was met with huge opposition from the public, following which the move was put on hold.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
3 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Do not use names of living personalities in govt ads: Madras HC
The Madras high court has said that political parties cannot use names or images of any living personality, including chief ministers and ideological leaders, as well as party insignia or symbols, in government advertisements for welfare schemes. Do not use names of living personalities in govt ads: Madras HC A bench of chief justice Manindra Mohan Shrivastava and justice Sunder Mohan barred the inclusion of 'the name of any living personality, photographs of former chief ministers or ideological leaders,' and 'party symbols, emblems, or flags of political parties,' including those of the ruling DMK in Tamil Nadu, in advertisements for government welfare schemes. The bench passed the order on July 31 while hearing a petition filed by AIADMK Member of Parliament C Ve Shanmugam, who had sought an injunction against the DMK government's use of chief minister MK Stalin's name and image, as well as the images of other DMK leaders, in the State's public grievance redressal scheme 'Mudhalvarin Mugavari.' Senior counsel Vijay Narayan, who appeared for Shanmugam, told the court that using the chief minister's name and party images in a state-funded scheme violated Supreme Court directives and the Government Advertisement (Content Regulation) Guidelines, 2014. The court said that the use of such references in state-sponsored promotions did 'prima facie' violate multiple apex court rulings, including the latter's clarification issued in 2016 on the review petition filed in the case of State of Karnataka vs Common Cause. In such order, the Supreme Court had clarified that while the photograph of an incumbent chief minister may be used in official government advertisements, photographs of ideological leaders or former chief ministers will prima facie violate its earlier directives aimed at curbing political misuse of public funds, the high court said. 'It would not be permissible to mention the name of the living political personality in the nomenclature of the government scheme. Moreover, using the name of any ruling political party, its insignia/logo/emblem/flag also appears to be prima facie against the directives of the Supreme Court and the Election Commission of India,' the high court said. It said that keeping in mind the above, it was passing an order 'to the effect that while launching and operating government welfare schemes through various advertisements, the name of any living personality, photograph of any former Chief Minister/ideological leaders or party insignia/emblem/flag of respondent No.4 (DMK) shall not be included.' Opposing the plea, the state's counsel, Advocate General P S Raman, had argued that the petition relied on unauthenticated materials such as unofficial printouts, which did not represent official government publications. Raman assured the court that the government had not used the photographs of any political leaders or party symbols in its promotional materials and requested time to file a detailed affidavit along with authentic records. Senior advocate P Wilson, who was representing the DMK, told the court the petition was politically motivated. Wilson pointed out that the petitioner belonged to the opposition and alleged that the plea was an attempt to 'malign' the ruling party's image 'under the guise of public interest.' While recording that the State denied the petitioner's claims, the court emphasised the importance of adhering to the legal framework governing government publicity. The Bench said it was 'inclined to pass an interim order' given the petitioner's apprehension that more such schemes were in the pipeline. However, the court clarified that its present order did not interfere with the actual launch or implementation of any welfare scheme. 'We have not passed any order against launching, implementation or operation of welfare schemes of the government,' the bench said. The court also made it clear that the pendency of the petition will not restrain the Election Commission of India or other competent authorities from taking action on the basis of the petitioner's complaint. The court is likely to hear the matter further on August 13.
New Indian Express
33 minutes ago
- New Indian Express
‘Inter-caste marriages will help wipe out caste system'
I am unable to call the murders done in the name of caste as either 'honour or dishonour killings'. They are brutal pre-meditated murders. Such acts attract Section 101 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (BNS). Murder attracts the punishment of death or imprisonment for life and is also liable to be fined under Section 103 of the BNS. Yet, time and again, we find that stringent law and punishment are not deterrent enough. After every case of murder in the name of caste, like that of Kavin Selvaganesh, there is a hue and cry to enact a special law against 'honour killing'. There is, of course, logic to this call, as such legislation will be seen as the state's response to treat such violence with iron hands. But even a casual perusal of special laws that deal with atrocities committed against Scheduled Castes and Tribes or the prevalence of child marriage despite the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, prove that legislation and stringent punishment cannot eradicate such offences unless there is a change in the minds of the society. For instance, the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act was enacted to give speedy relief to women by disposing of cases within 60 days. Yet it is not uncommon to see cases under this Act pending for more than three years. To ensure that no more youth are abused, pressured, victimised by false cases, assaulted or murdered in the name of caste or honour, social reform is the need of the hour. The Supreme Court in the Lata Singh case in 2006 said, 'The caste system is a curse on the nation and the sooner it is destroyed the better. In fact, it is dividing the nation at a time when we have to be united to face the challenges before the nation unitedly. Hence, inter-caste marriages are, in fact, in the national interest as they will result in destroying the caste system.'
Hindustan Times
33 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
SC takes cognisance of ecological crisis in Himachal Pradesh
The Supreme Court has taken suo motu cognizance of what it said was grave ecological crisis facing Himachal Pradesh, warning that unscientific construction and development could cause the entire hill state to 'vanish into thin air' from India's map. The court partly blamed 'unscientific construction' for recent natural disasters, and said that tourism pressure fuelled by 'human greed and apathy' is undermining the state's ecological fabric. (Shutterstock) The court partly blamed 'unscientific construction' for recent natural disasters, and said that tourism pressure fuelled by 'human greed and apathy' is undermining the state's ecological fabric, an intervention that came during a hearing on a petition by a resort company challenging the state's June 6 notification declaring Tara Mata hill a 'green area' with construction restrictions. While dismissing the resort's plea and lauding the notification, the bench of justices JB Pardiwala and R Mahdevan expanded the case's scope to address the broader environmental emergency gripping the state. 'We want to impress upon the state government and Union of India respectively that earning revenue is not everything. Revenue cannot be earned at the cost of environment and ecology,' the court said. 'If things proceed the way they are as on date, then the day is not far when the entire State of Himachal Pradesh may vanish in thin air from the map of the country.' Hoping this never happens, the court posted the matter for 25 August and sought the state's response on whether it has an action plan, emphasising that time is of essence as 'the situation in the state has gone from bad to worse.' The court's sharp observations came against the backdrop of widespread devastation that struck tourist towns in Kullu, Mandi, Shimla and Chamba districts during the monsoon seasons of 2023 and the one underway at present. 'Nature definitely is annoyed with the activities which are going on in the State of HP,' the bench said, noting that landslides and flash floods have become commonplace in the state, which is prone to natural calamities. Partly attributing the natural calamities to 'unscientific construction,' the court warned that unchecked tourism pressure could 'severely undermine the ecological and social fabric of the state.' The court highlighted how 'human greed and apathy' is driving the construction of four-lane roads to promote tourism, with heavy machinery and explosives weakening mountain slopes. It flagged the depletion of forest cover and receding glaciers as contributors to climate change, alongside unplanned hotel and resort construction that violates zonal plans and environmental clearances. 'Since the state lies in the lap of the Himalayan peaks, it is important to seek the opinion of geologists, environmental experts and local people before any development project is undertaken,' the court said. The bench also noted significant problems including waste generation, traffic congestion, noise pollution, overuse of water resources, and encroachment into ecologically sensitive areas. 'Ecological diversity and growing human demands necessitate immediate sustainable planning and conservation measures,' the court said, directing its registry to issue notice to the Himachal Pradesh government. The court expects the state to file an appropriate reply explaining whether it has an action plan and 'what do they propose to do future.' Looking beyond the state's borders, the court emphasised the need for 'all Himalayan states, pan India to collate resources and expertise so as to ensure that development plans are cognisant of these challenges.'
