Supreme Court Reserves Verdict on Pleas Over Retrospective Environmental Clearance

PTI, Apr 01, 2026, New Delhi : The Supreme Court on Wednesday reserved its verdict on a batch of petitions, including review pleas, relating to the grant of retrospective environmental clearance (EC) to projects that violated green norms.

A Bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi heard arguments from a battery of lawyers, including Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati representing the Centre, before reserving the judgment.

The top court is currently hearing afresh a set of pleas, including review petitions challenging the Vanashakti verdict.

The 2025 ruling had initially barred the Centre from granting ex post facto (retrospective) clearances to projects that began operations without mandatory environmental approvals. However, it was later stayed to prevent potential wastage of thousands of crores in public investment.

On November 18 last year, a three-judge Bench headed by the then Chief Justice of India B R Gavai reversed its own verdict by a majority of 2:1 through an interim order. This paved the way for retrospective environmental clearance for projects found violating environmental norms, citing that otherwise "thousands of crores of rupees would go in waste."

The apex court had highlighted that numerous vital public projects constructed with nearly Rs 20,000 crore of public funds could be demolished if the May 16, 2025, verdict—barring the Centre from granting retrospective environmental clearances—was not recalled. Consequently, the court ordered a fresh hearing on the pleas.