In a significant relief for the Isha Foundation, the Supreme Court has decided not to challenge a Madras High Court ruling that annulled notices issued by the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) regarding alleged environmental violations. The court has prohibited any coercive actions against the Isha Foundation’s yoga and meditation center.
A bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and N. Kotiswar Singh upheld the Madras High Court’s decision to quash the notices aimed at Jaggi Vasudev’s Isha Foundation for constructing facilities in the foothills of the Velliangiri mountains in Coimbatore without prior environmental clearance. While protecting the center from immediate action, the justices mandated adherence to all environmental regulations and directives from the TNPCB.
However, the Supreme Court clarified that its decision should not serve as a precedent for legitimizing illegal constructions, emphasizing that it was based solely on the unique facts of this case. Tamil Nadu’s Advocate General, P.S. Raman, expressed that the government sought to ensure the ruling would not act as a “blanket approval” and that future inspections of the premises were not obstructed, urging strict compliance with environmental standards.
The bench clarified that there is no exemption from adhering to environmental regulations. The court expressed particular concern regarding the potential dismantling of the constructed structures. Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, representing the Isha Foundation, argued against allowing state authorities to carry out inspections, predicting that it would lead to similar issues as before.
Raman responded by asserting that planning authorities should be permitted to inspect the area to prevent further unauthorized construction, given its proximity to a protected forest. The bench concluded that any expansion of the center would require approval from the competent authority.
Earlier in February, the court criticized the TNPCB for waiting two years before acting on an earlier order that annulled a show-cause notice against the Isha Foundation for purportedly violating environmental regulations. It described the TNPCB’s petition as a “friendly match,” initiated by bureaucrats seeking the Supreme Court’s endorsement for dismissing the petition.
The original show-cause notice was linked to the foundation’s construction of buildings between 2006 and 2014 without supposed mandatory environmental clearances, a claim that the Madras High Court ultimately dismissed. On December 14, 2022, the high court ruled that the facilities established by the Isha Foundation qualified as educational institutions and thus fell outside the need for prior environmental clearance.
The court considered the central government’s assertion that the foundation offered yoga classes and operated a school, categorizing it as an educational entity. In its decision, the high court concluded that the yoga center aligned with the definition of educational institutions, allowing its constructions to be exempt from environmental clearance requirements.
In January 2022, the Isha Foundation contested the show-cause notices issued by the TNPCB, contrary to the state’s arguments. The state contended that even if considered an educational institution, the designation would only apply to around 10,000 square meters of the foundation’s total area, which exceeds 200,000 square meters. During the case’s proceedings, a memorandum from the Center in May 2022 defined educational institutions to include those providing training essential for mental, moral, and physical development.
