Can Delhi buy remote-sensing machines to detect pollution, SC asks
New Delhi, May 10: The Supreme Court on Thursday asked the Delhi government if it could use the funds collected from the Environment Compensation Charge (ECC) to purchase remote-sensing machines to detect pollution emitted from diesel vehicles plying on the roads.
A bench of Justice Madan B. Lokur and Justice Deepak Gupta was informed by advocate Aparajita Singh, who is assisting the court as an amicus curiae, that the Environment Pollution Control Authority (EPCA) has suggested using remote-sensing technology which was found to be "most effective" in checking emission from diesel vehicles.
The bench told the Delhi government that "the amount from ECC can be used for this purpose".
Aparajita Singh said the technology was successfully used in China and Hong Kong to tackle the problem of air pollution and was already being used in Pune and Kolkata effectively.
The remote-sensing machines will be installed on the roads in Delhi for quick emissions screening of on-road fleet and identify high emitters on road. The machine also scans the number plates and owner could be sent notice for emitting pollutant.
An EPCA report on steps to be taken to strengthen pollution under control (PUC) mechanism recommended the use of remote-sensing machines and said Delhi needs 10 such machines while the cost of each machine would be around Rs 2.5 crore.
The bench asked the Central government to look into the issue and it sought six weeks for the purpose.
On Wednesday, the court asked the EPCA to examine the Delhi government's proposal for using part of the Rs 999.25 crore collected from ECC to buy semi-low floor fully electric buses to deal with the pollution level and improve public transport.
The court was hearing a PIL filed in 1985 by environmentalist M.C. Mehta relating to air pollution in Delhi-National Capital Region (NCR).
Meanwhile, the Central government told the apex court that the comprehensive action plan to tackle air pollution in Delhi-NCR would be notified and implemented in its entirety within four weeks.
Additional Solicitor General N.S. Nadkarni, appearing for the Central government, said parts of the plan have already been implemented in Delhi-NCR.
The bench, however, asked the Central government to ensure that the programmes are not only notified but also implemented properly, and posted the matter for further hearing in July.
It also asked the Central government to take a decision by June 30 on banning import of pet coke in the country.
The court asked the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) to monitor fortnightly the industries using pet coke, till the rules are framed by the government in this regard.
Aparajita Singh has said the court earlier allowed the use of pet coke in certain industries after the CPCB assured that it would collect the data about its use and monitor it on a monthly basis.
But the CPCB was not compiling and uploading the data, she added.
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Centre spent Rs 76.13 lakh on print media ads for RSS centenary, reveals RTI
New Delhi: The Union Ministry of Culture allegedly spent Rs 76.13 lakh on print advertisements marking the 100-year celebrations of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), according to a Right to Information (RTI) reply.
The information was sought by RTI activist Ajay Basudev Bose, who filed an application seeking details on expenditure incurred by the ministry for advertisements commemorating the RSS centenary.
Bose shared a picture of the reply from the ministry on his official ‘X’ handle.
“It is informed that an amount of Rs 76,13,129 has been spent on advertisement given in various print media by the Ministry of Culture on the occasion of the completion of 100 years of RSS,” the government’s reply stated.
RTI reply shows Min of Culture Govt of India spent a Whopping Rs 76L,13K,129 on Advertisement in Print Media on occasion of 100 yrs of #RSS
— AJAY Basudev Bose (@AjayBos93388306) April 16, 2026
When Everyone knows RSS is Not Registered & Does not Pay any Tax is it justified to spend Tax Payers Money on such Private event??@RSSorg… pic.twitter.com/dW4IUtdNCg
Bose questioned the expenditure in the post X, “when Everyone knows RSS is Not Registered & Does not Pay any Tax is it justified to spend Tax Payers Money on such Private event??”
Reacting to the development, Karnataka’s IT-BT and Panchayat Raj Minister Priyank Kharge also criticised the spending.
In a post on X, he asked why public money was being used for what he described as a “private ideological project.”
"Modi Sarkar spent Rs 76,13,129 of public money on newspaper advertisements to celebrate 100 years of the RSS. Why is Government spending taxpayers money on an unregistered, non-tax-paying organisation to celebrate their centenary?," he added.
Why is public money being used to serve a private ideological project?
— Priyank Kharge / ಪ್ರಿಯಾಂಕ್ ಖರ್ಗೆ (@PriyankKharge) April 16, 2026
Modi Sarkar spent ₹76,13,129 of public money on newspaper advertisements to celebrate 100 years of the RSS.
Why is Government spending taxpayers money on an unregistered, non-tax-paying organisation to… pic.twitter.com/EoZ6Pim3IM
According to reports, the RSS describes itself as a volunteer-based organisation and has stated that it functions as a body of individuals rather than a registered entity.
Founded by Keshav Baliram Hedgewar in 1925, the organisation is marking its centenary year beginning from Vijaydashami in 2025, with the milestone observed on October 2.
