Q. The right to be forgotten must be balanced with open justice and public interest. Discuss.
(GS Paper II – Indian Polity, Indian Constitution, Fundamental Rights, Judiciary, Governance, Right to Privacy)
Introduction:
The right to be forgotten refers to the right of an individual to seek removal, de-indexing or restricted access to personal information available online when it is outdated, irrelevant or harmful. In India, it is linked with the right to privacy under Article 21, recognised in Justice K.S. Puttaswamy v. Union of India, 2017. However, when this right is applied to court records, it must be balanced with the principle of open justice and larger public interest.
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Need for the Right to Be Forgotten
- Protection of privacy: Digitisation has made personal details permanently searchable through search engines and legal databases.
- Protection of dignity: Old accusations, even after acquittal or discharge, may damage a person’s reputation, employment and social life.
- Control over personal data: Individuals should have reasonable control over personal information that no longer serves any legitimate public purpose.
- Prevention of digital punishment: Continuous online visibility of past allegations may become punishment even when the person is legally cleared.
Importance of Open Justice
- Transparency in judiciary: Open access to court records allows public scrutiny of judicial functioning.
- Public understanding of law: Judgments help citizens, lawyers, researchers and journalists understand legal reasoning.
- Historical record: Court records form part of the official public record of the State.
- Accountability: Restricting access too widely may weaken trust in courts and public institutions.
Need to Balance with Public Interest
The right to be forgotten cannot be absolute. Public interest is important in cases involving public officials, corruption, serious crimes, public safety, constitutional issues and matters affecting society. In such cases, access to judicial records may be necessary for accountability and democratic debate.
At the same time, privacy concerns may be stronger in cases involving acquitted persons, minors, victims of sexual offences, matrimonial disputes and sensitive personal matters.
Challenges
- India lacks a clear statutory framework for applying the right to be forgotten to court records.
- Different High Courts have taken different approaches, creating uncertainty.
- Complete deletion is technically difficult because records may be copied by multiple websites.
- Excessive removal may affect journalism, research and the integrity of public records.
Way Forward
- India should create clear legal rules for redaction, de-indexing and data erasure.
- Courts should follow a case-by-case balancing test based on privacy, public interest, nature of case and time elapsed.
- Instead of deleting records, courts should prefer digital accuracy.
- If a person is acquitted or discharged, online records must clearly show the final outcome.
- Legal databases and search engines should regularly update records.
- Sensitive personal details may be redacted where necessary.
Conclusion:
The right to be forgotten is important in the digital age, but it must not weaken open justice. The better approach is not blanket deletion of judicial records, but contextual updating, limited redaction and responsible de-indexing. This can protect individual dignity while preserving transparency, public interest and trust in the justice system.
Q. Summer air pollution in Indian cities is different from winter smog and requires separate policy attention. Discuss.
(GS Paper III – Environment, Air Pollution, Climate Change and Urbanisation)
Introduction:
Air pollution in Indian cities is usually discussed in the context of winter smog, especially in Delhi-NCR. However, recent pollution episodes show that summer air pollution is also emerging as a serious environmental and public health concern. In 2026, Delhi reimposed Stage-I GRAP restrictions, while cities such as Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Kolkata also recorded pollution spikes. Summer pollution is mainly driven by PM10, dust storms, heat and ground-level ozone.
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How Summer Pollution Differs from Winter Smog
Winter pollution is mainly dominated by PM2.5, smoke and dense smog. Low temperature, fog, calm winds and temperature inversion trap pollutants close to the ground.
Summer pollution is different. It is mainly caused by coarse particulate matter such as PM10 and ground-level ozone. Strong sunlight, high temperature, dry winds and dust storms create favourable conditions for pollution episodes. Therefore, winter pollution is largely a problem of pollutant trapping, while summer pollution is a problem of dust suspension and photochemical reactions.
Major Causes of Summer Air Pollution
- Dust storms: Hot winds such as loo carry dust from the Thar Desert, West Asia and dry regions of North India.
- Local storms: Short dust storms called andhi lift loose soil and dust during thunderstorms.
- Ground-level ozone: Ozone forms when NOx from vehicles and industries reacts with VOCs from fuels, paints, solvents and industrial emissions under strong sunlight.
- Construction and road dust: Construction, demolition work, broken roads and vehicle movement on dry roads increase PM10 pollution.
- Urban emissions: Vehicular exhaust, industrial emissions and waste burning continue throughout the year and provide base pollutants.
Why Separate Policy Attention is Needed
Summer pollution cannot be controlled only through winter-focused emergency measures. Cities need season-specific clean air action plans. Dust control at construction sites, water sprinkling, dust sheets, road repair, mechanised sweeping and restriction on heavy vehicle movement near construction areas are necessary.
Ozone control requires reduction of NOx and VOC emissions through cleaner transport, stricter industrial compliance and control of paints, solvents and fuel emissions. Early warning systems such as AQEWS, IMD alerts and city-level public health advisories should be strengthened.
Conclusion:
Summer air pollution is not a weaker version of winter smog. It is a distinct challenge caused by heat, dust, ozone chemistry and urban emissions. Indian cities must adopt year-round air quality governance, with separate strategies for winter smog and summer pollution. This is essential for protecting public health, improving urban liveability and building climate-resilient cities.
