Courts cannot direct the executive to implement policies: Supreme Court

Supreme Court: The Supreme Court has given an important decision during the hearing of the petition demanding a plan to build collective kitchens to deal with hunger and malnutrition. The Supreme Court had refused to pass any directions or guidelines on the petition seeking to set up group kitchens across the country. The Supreme Court has said, 'The scope of judicial review of government policies and schemes is very limited and the courts cannot direct the government to implement any policy or scheme. The administration has the right to implement policies.

Supreme Court refused to give instructions

The petition claims that every day many children under five years of age die due to hunger and malnutrition in the country and this is a violation of fundamental rights. Besides, it is also a violation of the right to food. While hearing the petition, the Supreme Court bench of Justice Bela M Trivedi and Justice Pankaj Mittal refused to give any such instructions.

The Supreme Court bench said, 'The central and state governments have already implemented the National Food Security Act and other welfare schemes to tackle hunger and malnutrition. It is well known that the scope of judicial review of policy matters is very limited. The Court does not and cannot examine the merits of any policy or scheme. 'The court is not even an advisor to the administration on policy matters.'