Indian Politics
Supreme Court Bars Government From Post-Facto Green Clearances
The Hindu1h
THE BRIEF
1
The Supreme Court on July 29, 2026, quashed a 2021 Office Memorandum that allowed the Centre to grant ex post facto environmental clearances to infrastructure projects.
2
A Bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant ruled that the 2021 order violated the Environmental Protection Act of 1986 and Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution.
3
The court prospectively restrained the Centre from issuing future administrative orders for such clearances, though existing retrospective approvals granted under the 2017 notification remain valid unless challenged individually.