NGT must make public report of panel that reviewed approvals for Nicobar project, says Jairam Ramesh
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh called upon the National Green Tribunal (NGT) to make public the report on the environmental approvals for the "ecologically disastrous" Great Nicobar Island Project. Ramesh on Sunday, August 9, said the report from the High-Powered Committee for the project must be made public.
The Committee's report had been submitted in a 'sealed cover' to the NGT on July 8, 2025, he pointed out. He then said that if made public, the report will be shown to be deeply flawed.
Ramesh hoped that various tribunals, and more particularly the NGT, would rediscover their voice and authority and fulfil their legal mandate in letter and spirit.
"Tomorrow the Lok Sabha is scheduled to take up The Tribunal Reforms Bill, 2026 that may well chart a new future for 16 semi-judicial Tribunals set up over the years, including the very important National Green Tribunal (NGT) that came into being in October 2010 by an Act of Parliament itself," he said on X.
This Bill seeks to implement the Supreme Court's directions in the landmark Madras Bar Association judgment of November 19, 2025, that had struck down key provisions of the Tribunals Reforms Act, 2021 and called for an independent National Tribunals Commission for appointments, Ramesh said.
"Since the very existence of an independent NGT was at stake, I had also joined the challenge to the 2021 Act in the Supreme Court. Earlier I had challenged even the provisions of the Finance Act, 2017 which had sought to emasculate the Tribunals by resorting to the subterfuge of having the amendments declared as part of a Money Bill to escape full and proper legislative scrutiny in both Houses of Parliament, especially the Rajya Sabha," he recalled.
Much has already been lost because of the Modi government's refusal to heed reasoned criticism or even judicial precedent, the Congress leader alleged.
No doubt the NGT was the main target because the Modi government was finding it inconvenient, he said.
Having defended the untenable 2021 law all the way to the Supreme Court, it now finds itself compelled to enact many of the very reforms it had stoutly resisted, and which were so badly needed, Ramesh said, adding that confrontation has finally yielded to concurrence.
"Hopefully the various Tribunals, and more particularly the NGT, will rediscover their voice and authority and fulfill their legal mandate in letter and spirit," he said. A Bill to set up a commission to select chairpersons and members for various tribunals following a Supreme Court direction is set to be introduced in the Lok Sabha this week.
According to the Tribunals Reforms Bill, its key aim is to improve efficiency, ensure independence, transparency and uniformity in the qualification and appointment of chairpersons and members for various tribunals.
The Bill, slated for introduction in the Lok Sabha next week, also lays the framework to set up a National Tribunals Commission.
To be headquartered in the national capital, the proposed commission will consist of a chairperson and four members, of whom two will be judicial members and two technical members.
A retired Supreme Court judge or a retired chief justice of a high court will be qualified to head the proposed panel.
The Bill, which has been circulated to the Lok Sabha members, notes that the Supreme Court recently struck down certain provisions of the Tribunals Reforms Act, 2021, on the grounds that they are contrary to the principles of separation of powers and judicial independence and not in consonance with the earlier judicial pronouncements that have clarified the standards governing the appointment, tenure and functioning of chairpersons and members of tribunals.
The top court had also directed to establish a National Tribunals Commission, which is independent, has professional expertise, and adopts a transparent process and oversight mechanism for the selection and appointment of chairpersons and members for various tribunals.
Once the Bill becomes a law, the 2021 Act will stand repealed.
(With inputs from PTI)
