Zero Emission Ebuses in Hyderabad. File | Photo credit: Nagara Gopal
Amid worsening air pollution in the state capital, the Supreme Court on Thursday (Nov 13, 2025) observed that it may be high time to review the National Electric Mobility Mission Plan (NEMMP) 2020 to promote electric vehicles and even start a pilot project in metropolitan cities.
Speaking before the bench headed by Justice Surya Kant, Prashant Bhushan, a litigation lawyer for the NGO Center for Public Interest, urged the government to provide incentives to encourage consumers to switch to electric vehicles. He pointed out that an electric car is more expensive than one that runs on fossil fuels. He said the government must lead by example and switch completely to electric vehicles.
Attorney General R. Venkataramani of the Center said the full transition to electric vehicles is a major policy decision. Justice Kant said five years have passed since NEMMP 2020.
“Now the policy may also have to be rethought. You could start a pilot project in metropolitan cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Madras (Chennai) or Bengaluru,” Justice Kant hinted, listing the case after four weeks.
The petitioner-NGO sought timely implementation of electric vehicle policy and faster adoption and production of hybrid and electric vehicles in India.
While hearing the case in February 2020, the apex court noted that the problem of vehicular pollution was largely related to the fuel used in the vehicles, affecting not only Delhi but the entire country.
In a related development, Supreme Court judge Justice PS Narasimha, who headed a different bench on Thursday (Nov 13, 2025), asked the lawyers to practically attend the court. Justice Narasimha advised the lawyers to take into account the worsening pollution in the capital and not physically attend the court. The judge said the masks may not be enough to avoid health risks from airborne toxicity.
Published – 13 Nov 2025 22:24 IST
