Government lost ₹8,000 crore due to five cases: NITI Aayog

Source: The post is based on the article “Government lost ₹8,000 crore due to five cases: NITI Aayog” published in The Hindu on 16th August 2022.

What is the News?

Niti Aayog has commissioned a report titled “Economic Impact of Select Decisions of the Supreme Court and National Green Tribunal of India”.

What is the purpose of the report?

Prepared by: Consumer Unity & Trust Society (CUTS), a Jaipur-based policy research and advocacy group. 

Objective: To build a narrative to support better sensitivity to the economic impacts of judgments by the judiciary and will serve as useful inputs for the training of judicial officers.

Key Findings of the report: The report has estimated that five orders of the Supreme Court and the National Green Tribunal between 2018-2021 favouring larger protection for the environment had cost the government around ₹8,000 crores in revenue. Around 16,000 workers also lost their jobs due to these judgments.

What are the recommendations given by the report?

Firstly, the Court should undertake an economic-impact analysis based on forecasts put together by a group of experts to address and adjudicate public interest cases involving economically sensitive matters. 

Secondly, Judicial officers to be exposed to (basic) economic issues so as to enable them to recognise the need for a holistic and balanced decision and approach. 

Thirdly, in cases where strict adherence to legal provisions may lead to substantive economic losses, the decision-making of the SC should be guided by the larger public good.

Fourthly, the judiciary should institutionalize the idea of a cost-benefit analysis as part of their decision-making.