Supreme Court Pushes for Accelerated EV Adoption Amid Delhi’s Air Pollution Crisis

Context:

• The Supreme Court of India has urged the government to revisit the National Electric Mobility Mission Plan (NEMMP) 2020 in response to severe and persistent air pollution in Delhi.

• The observations were made during proceedings on air quality, highlighting the urgency of clean mobility solutions as part of environmental governance.

Key Highlights:

Judicial Observations on Pollution

• The Court underscored that vehicular emissions are a major contributor to urban air pollution.

• It suggested:

  • Reassessing NEMMP 2020, five years after its launch, to evaluate its effectiveness.

  • Accelerated promotion of Electric Vehicles (EVs) to mitigate pollution.

• The gravity of Delhi’s pollution prompted a judge to advise lawyers to appear virtually, signalling a public health emergency.

Proposals for Promoting EV Adoption

• Advocate Prashant Bhushan proposed:

  • Consumer incentives to offset the higher upfront cost of EVs compared to fossil-fuel vehicles.

• Possible measures include:

  • Subsidies

  • Tax rebates

  • Other financial incentives to encourage behavioural shift.

Pilot Projects in Metropolitan Cities

• The Court suggested pilot EV projects in major metros:

  • Delhi

  • Mumbai

  • Kolkata

  • Chennai

  • Bengaluru

• Objectives of pilot projects:

  • Assess infrastructure readiness

  • Study consumer response

  • Measure real-world impact on air quality

Policy Frameworks Under Scrutiny

• NEMMP 2020:

  • Aimed at promoting EV adoption and domestic manufacturing.

  • Judicial remarks indicate the need to update targets and policy tools.

• FAME India Scheme:

  • The petitioner-NGO sought its timely and effective implementation.

  • Focus areas include:

    • Demand incentives

    • Charging infrastructure

    • Support to EV manufacturers

Governance and Environmental Significance

• Reinforces the judiciary’s role in environmental governance when executive action is slow.

• Highlights the link between:

  • Clean transport

  • Public health

  • Urban sustainability

• Positions EV adoption as both an air pollution control and climate mitigation strategy.

UPSC Relevance (GS-wise):

GS 3 – Environment & Ecology

• Urban air pollution and mitigation measures

• Role of clean mobility in environmental protection

GS 2 – Governance

• Judicial intervention in policy formulation

• Implementation challenges of national missions

Prelims Focus:

• Objectives of NEMMP 2020

• Features of the FAME India Scheme

• Supreme Court’s role in environmental oversight

Mains Enrichment:

• Examine how electric mobility can address India’s urban air pollution crisis.

• Discuss the effectiveness of judicial nudges in accelerating environmental policy reforms.