Case Title – IN RE : T.N. GODAVARMAN THIRUMULPAD vs UNION OF INDIA & ORS.
Citation – W.P. (C) No. – 202/1995
Date – 19.11.2025
Hon’ble Supreme Court Bench – CJI B.R. GAVAI & JUSTICE K. VINOD CHANDRAN
The Hon’ble Supreme Court has ordered that the Union Government cannot disband the Central Empowered Committee (CEC) unless it first takes permission from the Court. This direction was issued in the famous T.N. Godavarman forest case, where the CEC has been helping the Court with environmental matters since 1997.
The Hon’ble Court noted that the CEC now has legal/statutory status after a 2023 notification under the Environment (Protection) Act. The judges said the CEC has played a major role in environmental protection by giving factual reports, conducting on-ground inspections, and helping the Court monitor issues in real time.
The order came after the Cabinet Secretariat sent a note suggesting that the CEC’s role be reconsidered because of the existence of the National Green Tribunal (NGT). The Hon’ble Supreme Court clarified that while the NGT is important, it cannot replace the CEC, because the CEC works directly under the Court’s supervision and assists specifically in this long-running case.
The Hon’ble Court emphasised that without the CEC’s independent fact-finding, it would not have been able to pass many important environmental orders over the last 28+ years. The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) has been directed to appoint an officer as the Secretary of the CEC and ensure that this post is never left vacant.
With these directions, the Hon’ble Court disposed of the application related to the staffing and continuation of the CEC.
