Indian Supreme Court asks Minister of Transport for stance on EVs

Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari has been called to appear before India's Supreme Court to discuss the government's plans for supporting the EV sector. The court requested the hearing to get a better picture of the issue and said the government should consider EV-related issues with the help of the authority empowered to take decisions about them. The Department of Heavy Industries has approved more than 2,600 EV charging stations in 62 cities. More than 285,000 EV and hybrid buyers benefited from INR3.6bn ($49.4m) in subsidies as of November 2019, according to the Ministry of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises.

The Supreme Court has requested the Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari to appear before it to discuss the proposal of the gradual transition of fossil-fuel-based vehicles on the roads to electric vehicles (EVS).

This is the first time when a minister has been called by the court to discuss government policies and decisions. This task is usually carried out by solicitor general or additional solicitor general.

According to news agency PTI, the apex bench comprising of Chief Justice SA Bobde, Justice B R Gavai, and Justice Surya Kant asked solicitor general Atmaram S Nadkarni whether the minister can come before the court for a discussion regarding the deployment of EVs and the government’s stand on the topic.

The bench stated that since the minister has been talking about the use of alternative fuel in public and private vehicles, the court would like to discuss with him to get a clearer picture of the issue. The court further noted that all the issues related to EVs need to be considered simultaneously with the person in authority empowered to take the decision.