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M.C. Mehta v. Union of India.

Country/Territory
India
Type of court
National - higher court
Date
Nov 22, 1991
Source
UNEP, InforMEA
Court name
Supreme Court of India
Seat of court
New Delhi
Judge
Misra Rangnath
Ray, G.N.
Anand, A.S.
Reference number
AIR 1992 SC 382
Language
English
Subject
Environment gen.
Keyword
Public participation
Abstract
This was a public interest petition in which certain directions were sought propogating education on environmental pollution to the people through the government controlled mass media, to retrieve the lack of public awareness. The court observed that enactment of laws regarding water and air pollution control was not sufficient. No law can effectively work unless there is an element of acceptance by the people in the society. In order that human conduct may be in accordance with the prescribed law, it is necessary that there should be appropriate awareness of what the law requires and an element of acceptance by the people that the requirement of law is grounded in a philosophy which is to be followed. This is possible only when steps are taken to make the people aware of the indispensable necessity of their conduct being oriented in accordance with the requirement of the law. The court consequently issued the following directions to the Government of India: 1) The Union Government was required to issue directions to all the State governments and the union territories to enforce through collectors as a condition for license on all cinema halls , to compulsory exhibit free of cost at least two slides/messages on environment during each show.2) The Ministry of information and Broadcasting of Government of India should without delay, start producing information films of short duration highlighting the various aspects of environment and pollution and the benefits of clean environment on society 3) Doordarshan and AIR were directed to produce daily programmes with a duration of five to seven minutes with messages on the environment and a regular weekly programme on the subject; and 4)The Educational Boards were directed to take steps to enforce compulsory education on environment upto matriculation from the next academic year and the University Grants Commission (UGC) to consider the feasibility of making environment a compulsory subject at every level in college education.
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