With reference to the Great Nicobar project, consider the following statements: 1. The project is under litigation regarding compliance with the Forest Rights Act. 2. The Calcutta High Court dismissed the Public Interest Litigations (PILs) regarding the project. 3. The Supreme Court upheld the Centre's plea against the Calcutta High Court order. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Supreme Court dismisses Centre's plea against Calcutta High Court order on Great Nicobar project

GS2Polity · Governance · IR· Bills, Acts & ordinances· Prelims + Mains· 5 October 2026

Judicial review of infrastructure projects vs. indigenous rights: a GS2 Governance and Environment case study.

Why in news

The Supreme Court dismissed the Centre's plea against a Calcutta High Court order upholding Public Interest Litigations (PILs) alleging violations of the Forest Rights Act in the Great Nicobar Island project.

Background

The Supreme Court, led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana, dismissed the Centre's plea on October 5, 2026. The Calcutta High Court had upheld PILs regarding the Great Nicobar Island project's compliance with the Forest Rights Act.

Facts for Prelims

FactGreat Nicobar Island: Project site under litigation regarding Forest Rights Act
Act / BillForest Rights Act: Legislation cited in PILs regarding the Great Nicobar project

Prelims practice question

With reference to the Great Nicobar project, consider the following statements:

The project is under litigation regarding compliance with the Forest Rights Act.
The Calcutta High Court dismissed the Public Interest Litigations (PILs) regarding the project.
The Supreme Court upheld the Centre's plea against the Calcutta High Court order.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a)1 only
(b)2 only
(c)3 only
(d)2 and 3 only

Show answer

Answer: (a) 1 only — Statement 1 is correct. Statement 2 is incorrect: The Calcutta High Court upheld the PILs. Statement 3 is incorrect: The Supreme Court dismissed the Centre's plea.

For Mains

Q. Examine the conflict between large-scale infrastructure development and the protection of indigenous forest rights under the Forest Rights Act.

Dimensions to cover in your answer

Legal conflict: Balancing developmental imperatives with statutory protections for forest-dwelling communities
Judicial oversight: Role of PILs in ensuring environmental and tribal rights during mega-projects

Keywords: Judicial Review · Forest Rights Act · Environmental Governance · Infrastructure Development · Public Interest Litigation

Read the full news →Source: The Hindu ↗Also: GS3 · Environmental laws, EIA & institutions

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This note is generated automatically from SatyaDheesh's news feed and mapped to the UPSC CSE syllabus. Check facts against the original report or PIB before using them in an answer.