Delhi, a landlocked city in northern India, is a metropolis and part of the national capital region. As the capital of India, it hosts significant government institutions, including the seat of Parliament and the Supreme Court, making it the center of India’s political and judicial processes. Delhi has a rich historical legacy, reflected in its diverse architecture and demographic changes over time.
The city played a major role in history as it was constantly invaded and served as a seat for numerous rulers. Every change, the most recent being the partition riots and mass migration of 1947, has led to a change in the demographics and, in turn, the culture of the city. Moreover, being the national capital, it is an important location when it comes to civil society to raise voices. The most recent farmers’ protests and protests against the CAA are examples.
As a Union Territory with its legislative assembly, Delhi combines both central and local governance. It is led by a Chief Minister and a Lietenant Governot. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has been in power in the city-state since 2015. The AAP government has focused on improving essential services like education, healthcare, and public transportation. As one of the world’s most populous cities, Delhi faces challenges such as air pollution, traffic congestion, waste management, and urban planning. The AAP government has focused on improving education, healthcare, and public transport, especially the expansion of metro services.
Politically, Delhi is a battleground for various political parties, with the BJP, Congress, and AAP all playing important roles in shaping the city’s policy landscape. Delhi’s status as the national capital gives it a unique political significance and a place at the center of India’s decision-making process.
A city that blends ancient history with modern infrastructure, Delhi is home to iconic landmarks like the Red Fort, India Gate, Qutub Minar, and the Lotus Temple, alongside vibrant cultural and shopping districts.
One such foolish order was about the banning of more than 10 year old diesel vehicles in the NCR .
10 years is an arbitrary date. Either diesel is carcinogenic or it is not.
Secondly for this order to be effective it is essential that the MV ACT of all NCR states should be amended. As far as I actually ascertained even till end 2018 other than may be Delhi ,no other state had amended its Act to issue RC for 10 years. Despite the NGT and Supreme Court ruling the RC for a diesel vehicle was valid for 15 years and the State Governments were charging , at least Haryana was, one time charge for 15 years.
This only led to harrassment of owners of such vehicles.
I disagree with the tenor of the article in placing the blame for nothing good happening to air quality in Delhi at the doors of courts, activists and litigants. After all courts didn’t ask for some one to file a petition. Concerned citizen has no pleasure in pursuing a thankless litigation. But it is because those entrusted with doing what they should don’t do it that these have to intervene. Let us say (for a minute imagine) we are law abiding, rule of law prevails. Then if cracker sale is banned no one would sell and that much less cracker would go up in smoke and that much air quality would improve. But, no, we enjoy breaking the law at the first opportunity we get, rule of law ki eisi ki taisi. Now, suddenly the law becomes bad, law maker becomes bad. This is not done.
bhure lal as EPCA chief and sunita narain as DG is like combining Laattoo Shah (of the DDCA) and Justic Lodha —
oligarchic ; expensive; ineffectual.
I agree especially with the bit about “courts getting off the kerb”. Courts will do better with doing what they are mandated to do by the constitution. One word of advice for activists too. Instead of rushing to court with their frivolous PIL they would better approach governments or sit on Dharanas. These elites with deep pockets to pay for hiring senior advocates in SC must realise that for every frivolous PIL they file they delay the justice for some innocent rotting in jails or some victims waiting for justice years on.
Instead of doing all these, why not give a thought to shift national capital to other place along with supreme court premises. This will solve the problem to maximum extent and i think it will be cost effective also.
I think its worth giving a thought!
Karna toh hum sab ko padega, aur bahut kuchh, bina vilamb. A full blown health crisis is upon us, most visibly in Delhi. India is losing 2.5 million citizens prematurely each year to pollution. Many more must be suffering, losing economic output and quality of life. 2. Not a job for the judiciary, although some of its interventions have been very useful. It is for the executive, working with the legislature, to assess what the environmental consequences of $ 6 trillion in GDP will be, how we can get there without our lungs seizing up. Citizens will have to modify lifestyles, out of conviction and responsibility rather than just executive or judicial fiat. 3. A permanent, nationwide ban on fircrackers would have great symbolic value, like Mahatma Gandhi picking up a lump of salt.