15/08/2025                                                                            
                                    
                                                                            
                                            The Indian Constitution embeds environmental protection through three pillars: State responsibility (Article 48A), citizen duty (Article 51A(g)), and the judicially recognised right to a healthy environment under Article 21. The 42nd Constitutional Amendment (1976), inspired by the 1972 Stockholm Conference, introduced explicit provisions on environmental preservation. Legislative competence is shared under the Seventh Schedule, enabling both the Union and States to act. Courts have consistently upheld environmental quality as integral to the right to life, ensuring that sustainable development remains a constitutional mandate.