Centre moves Supreme Court to stay hearings on Great Nicobar project
The Indian government has petitioned the Supreme Court to stay proceedings in the Calcutta High Court regarding the Great Nicobar Island project. The government argues that the project is of national importance and that the petitioner lacks the standing to challenge it.
Why it matters
The case pits large-scale national infrastructure development against environmental and tribal rights protections, setting a significant legal precedent.
The Union government has approached the Supreme Court to stay further proceedings in the petitions pending final hearing before the Calcutta High Court , which allege that provisions of the Forest Rights Act (FRA) were violated in obtaining consent for its ₹92,000-crore Great Nicobar Island project.
On May 6, 2026, the High Court overruled the Centre’s preliminary objections to the petitions. The Centre had argued that Meena Gupta, the petitioner, had no locus standi to approach the court. The Bench of then Chief Justice Sujoy Paul and Justice Partha Sarathi Sen had dismissed this argument and had cleared the way for a final hearing.
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