LANDMARK CASE
Subhash Kumar v. State of Bihar
(1991) 1 SCC 598 · Supreme Court of India · Environmental law
At a glance
- Citation: (1991) 1 SCC 598
- Court: Supreme Court of India
- Area of law: Environmental law
- In one line: Yes. The right to life includes the right to pollution free water and air, though the petition itself was dismissed as motivated.
1 Facts
A petition alleged pollution of the Bokaro river by industrial waste.
2 Issue
Does the right to life include a clean environment?
3 What the court decided
Yes. The right to life includes the right to pollution free water and air, though the petition itself was dismissed as motivated.
4 Why it matters
It linked Article 21 with environmental protection.
5 Think about it
Why did the Court still dismiss the petition?
6 Analyse it yourself
Read the full judgment from an official source or a law database, then brief it in seven steps: facts, issues, arguments, decision, ratio, obiter and significance. Always check the citation before you rely on it.
7 More cases on Environmental law
- A.P. Pollution Control Board v. Prof. M.V. Nayudu (1999) 2 SCC 718
- Arjun Gopal v. Union of India (2017) 1 SCC 412
- Centre for Environmental Law, WWF India v. Union of India (Asiatic Lion) (2013) 8 SCC 234
- Hinch Lal Tiwari v. Kamala Devi (2001) 6 SCC 496
- Indian Council for Enviro Legal Action v. Union of India (1996) 3 SCC 212
- Lafarge Umiam Mining v. Union of India (2011) 7 SCC 338
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