Environment & Ecology
The Great Indian Bustard (GIB) returned to national focus after Justice P.S. Narasimha of the Supreme Court highlighted that Western-origin doctrines like intergenerational equity are inadequate for protecting critically endangered species. His observation underscores how broad ethical principles often fail to generate urgent, targeted conservation action.
Intergenerational equity states that each generation is a trustee of Earth’s resources, responsible for using them wisely and preserving them for future generations. However, for species such as the GIB—already at the edge of extinction—this long-term principle offers limited operational guidance. It signals the need for stronger, species-specific conservation mechanisms that prioritise immediate survival over abstract future obligations.
MCQ:
Which alternative framework most closely addresses the Supreme Court’s concern about protecting critically endangered species like the GIB?
(a) Deep ecology with biocentric prioritisation
(b) Market-based biodiversity offsets
(c) Weak sustainability with compensatory development
(d) Anthropocentric economic valuation of species
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