AI generated image NEW DELHI: In an important decision to nudge the corporate sector to play an active role to protect the environment, Supreme Court on Friday brought the issues of ecology and environment within corporate social responsibility and passed a slew of directions to protect the Great Indian Bustard, which is on the verge of extinction and faces threat from operation of non-renewable power generators in Rajasthan and Gujarat. A bench of Justices P S Narasimha and Atul S Chandurkar asked the non-renewable power generators operating in priority and non-priority areas in Rajasthan and Gujarat to remember they share the environment with the GIB and must undertake their activities as if they are guests in its abode.Green funds not charity but constitutional obligation: SCElaborating on the role of the private sector in the issue of environment, the bench said the corporate definition of social responsibility must inherently include environmental responsibility. “Companies cannot assert to be socially responsible while ignoring equal claims of the environment and other beings of the ecosystem. The Constitution, under Article 51A(g), imposes a fundamental duty on every citizen to protect and improve the natural environment…. A corporation, as a legal person and a key organ of society, shares this fundamental duty. CSR funds are the tangible expression of this duty. Consequently, allocating funds for the protection of environment is not a voluntary act of charity but a fulfilment of a constitutional obligation,” Justice Narasimha, who penned the judgment for the bench, said.SC said CSR provision codifies the principle that corporate profit is not solely the private property of shareholders, but is partly owed to society that enables its generation. The bench accepted the recommendation of a court-appointed committee for preservation of GIB despite opposition from power generators. It approved revised priority conservation areas of 14,013 sq km in Rajasthan and 740 sq km in Gujarat. It also approved panel recommendation on blanket ban on the installation of solar projects over 2MW capacity or the laying of overhead transmission lines. The court said survival of GIB is a shared cultural responsibility, as the bird represents not just a species but the unique natural heritage and resilience of the arid landscapes.End of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosVaping, Bhow-Bhow & Shouting Match: A Look At Viral Moments Of Parl As Chaotic Winter Session EndsBondi Beach Terror Suspect Visited Hyderabad Six Times After Leaving India, Telangana Police Reveal’To Delay Elections, Instigate India’: Former Minister Blames Yunus Govt For Bangladesh ViolenceBangladesh Crisis: Tharoor Panel Red Flags 5 Reasons That Make It India’s Biggest Test Since 1971Rijiju Blames Congress As Parliament Session Ends Without Pollution Debate, Jairam Ramesh RespondsBangladesh: Hindu Man Lynching Sparks Outrage, Former Indian Envoy Calls Situation Total MobocracyExplained: Why Bangladesh’s Fresh Unrest Ahead Of Polls Is One Of India’s Biggest Strategic WorriesWho Was Sharif Osman Hadi, The Anti-India Face Of Bangladesh Whose Death Has Set Dhaka AblazePakistan Embarrassed Globally As Saudi Deports 56000 Beggars Despite No Fly Lists And Warnings’Countries Like Us Must Stick Together’: Jaishankar And Dutch FM On Strengthening India-EU Ties123Photostories7 Christmas delicacies you should warn off if you’re diabetic17 one-pot rice dishes for winter months5 gym mistakes that can put heart health at riskFrom Labubu dolls to Prada Kolhapuris: 5 viral fashion moments of 2025 that broke the internetHarrison Ford, aging gracefully at 83: 6 habits behind his long-term vitalityNot just reindeer: 5 animals that make Christmas specialExclusive – Bigg Boss 19 Winner Gaurav Khanna on the dull phase in his career, facing hate from Farrhana, and reacting to trolls targeting wife Akanksha over her choice to not have childrenFrom Samosa to White Butter: Kareena Kapoor’s cheat meals to try this winter10 countries that feature birds and animals on their national flagsTV actors who spoke about body shaming: From Ashnoor Kaur to Tejasswi Prakash123Hot Picksvb g ram gICICI Prudential AMCUAE RainGold rate todaySilver rate todayPublic Holidays DecemberBank Holidays DecemberTop TrendingJosh Allen Luxury Car CollectionRandi MahomesAuston MatthewsWho is Nicole LundersJeremy Doku and Shireen Doku Net WorthZachary BolducQuinn HutsonJake PaulCalvin PickardCristiano Ronaldo
NEW DELHI: In an important decision to nudge the corporate sector to play an active role to protect the environment, Supreme Court on Friday brought the issues of ecology and environment within corporate social responsibility and passed a slew of directions to protect the Great Indian Bustard, which is on the verge of extinction and faces threat from operation of non-renewable power generators in Rajasthan and Gujarat. A bench of Justices P S Narasimha and Atul S Chandurkar asked the non-renewable power generators operating in priority and non-priority areas in Rajasthan and Gujarat to remember they share the environment with the GIB and must undertake their activities as if they are guests in its abode.
Green funds not charity but constitutional obligation : SC
Elaborating on the role of the private sector in the issue of environment, the bench said the corporate definition of social responsibility must inherently include environmental responsibility. “Companies cannot assert to be socially responsible while ignoring equal claims of the environment and other beings of the ecosystem. The Constitution, under Article 51A(g), imposes a fundamental duty on every citizen to protect and improve the natural environment.… A corporation, as a legal person and a key organ of society, shares this fundamental duty. CSR funds are the tangible expression of this duty. Consequently, allocating funds for the protection of environment is not a voluntary act of charity but a fulfilment of a constitutional obligation,” Justice Narasimha, who penned the judgment for the bench, said.SC said CSR provision codifies the principle that corporate profit is not solely the private property of shareholders, but is partly owed to society that enables its generation. The bench accepted the recommendation of a court-appointed committee for preservation of GIB despite opposition from power generators. It approved revised priority conservation areas of 14,013 sq km in Rajasthan and 740 sq km in Gujarat. It also approved panel recommendation on blanket ban on the installation of solar projects over 2MW capacity or the laying of overhead transmission lines. The court said survival of GIB is a shared cultural responsibility, as the bird represents not just a species but the unique natural heritage and resilience of the arid landscapes.
