India’s Environmental Jurisprudence Conservation vs. Development - Noopur Joshi

India’s environmental jurisprudence is more than a body of laws; it reflects the nation’s struggle to balance ecological preservation with developmental ambition. Yet definitional ambiguities, regulatory dilution, and enforcement gaps have often weakened environmental protection. As India confronts climate stress, resource depletion, and urban expansion, recent judicial interventions-such as the Aravalli case-signal not closure but a reset, reaffirming eco-centric governance, scientific rigour, and a renewed commitment to harmonising conservation with development.

India’s environmental jurisprudence has evolved at the fault line between ecological preservation and developmental imperatives. Recent proceedings before the Supreme Court of India on the protection of the Aravalli Hills ....