National Green Tribunal (NGT)

National Green Tribunal (NGT): ‘Green Court of India’ and Its Significance in Polity #

To prepare for Indian Polity for any competitive exam, aspirants have to know about the National Green Tribunal (NGT). It gives an idea of all the important topics for the IAS Exam and the polity syllabus (GS-II.). This is an essential portion of the polity. As IAS aspirants, you should be thorough with the NGT. In this article, you can read all about the NGT for the Polity and Governance segments of the UPSC syllabus.

NGT is a statutory and quasi-judicial body which deals with adjudication related to the environment, called the “Green Court of India”. 

Evolution of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) #

• Inadequacy of Existing Legislation: The inadequacy of National Environment Tribunal Act, 1995 and National Environment Appellate Authority Act, 1997 gave rise to demand for an institution to deal with environmental cases more efficiently and effectively.
• Recommendations of the Law Commission: The Law Commission in its 186th Report suggested multi-faceted Courts with judicial and technical inputs referring to the practice of environmental Courts in Australia and New Zealand.
• Formation of the NGT: As a result NGT was formed as a special fast-track, quasi-judicial body composed of judges and environment experts to ensure expeditious disposal of cases.

Formation and Functioning of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) #

• Establishment Under the NGT Act 2010: The NGT was established in 2010 under the National Green Tribunal Act 2010 as a statutory
• Objective: It was set up for effective and expeditious disposal of cases relating to environmental protection and conservation of forests and other natural resources.
• Enforcement of Legal Rights: It ensures enforcement of any legal right relating to the environment and giving relief and compensation for damages to persons and property.
• Timely Disposal Mandate: The Tribunal is mandated to make and endeavor for disposal of applications or appeals finally within 6 months of filing the same.
• Circuit Procedure for Accessibility: Initially, the NGT is proposed to be set up at five places of sittings and will follow circuit procedure for making itself more accessible.

National Green Tribunal Jurisdiction: From New Delhi to Regional Benches #

• HQ: New Delhi
• Regional Benches: Bhopal, Pune, Kolkata and Chennai shall be the other four place of sitting of the Tribunals.