Supreme Court to Govt: Show us your EV roadmap
The
Supreme Court
on Tuesday asked the Indian government to submit details of its evolving policy decisions to promote the use of electric vehicles (EVs) and the infrastructure provided to support them. The court was hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking proper implementation of EV promotion measures.
A bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh granted four weeks to Attorney General R Venkataramani to respond to the court's queries. The matter has been listed for further hearing on 14 May.
The PIL was filed by the Centre for Public Interest Litigation (CPIL), and senior advocate Prashant Bhushan appeared on its behalf. Bhushan said the government had to provide the basic infrastructure for EV usage if it wanted people to adopt cleaner transport alternatives.
He pointed out that one of the major obstacles to EV adoption was the lack of charging infrastructure, citing that charging stations were spaced up to 400 kilometres apart. Bhushan also questioned how other departments could be expected to transition to EVs if the government itself had not yet set an example by using them.
Responding to this, Justice Surya Kant remarked that the responsibility was not the government's alone, and that other institutions must also contribute to the transition. The bench then turned its attention to future employment risks, expressing concern over the rapid growth of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and its possible impact on jobs.
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Justice Kant referred to a case where a driverless Uber car powered by AI had recently picked up a passenger in California. He said, 'My worry is that the AI should not eliminate the employment of these drivers... In India, being a driver is a big source of employment.'
He added that AI was evolving at a rapid pace, with technology modules becoming outdated within months.
The PIL called for the implementation of a 2012 government policy promoting the use of EVs. The policy had mandated electric vehicles for public transport and use by government departments. It also required the installation of charging stations at public buildings.
The court's interest in the matter was driven by concerns both about the slow rollout of infrastructure and the long-term consequences of emerging technologies on employment.
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