Supreme Court raises concerns about highways becoming death traps during winter
GS3Economy · S&T · Environment · Security· Infrastructure (energy, ports, roads, railways)· Prelims + Mains·
Why in news
The Supreme Court criticized the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) for shifting responsibility for highway accidents to local administrations instead of addressing systemic safety issues.
Background
The Supreme Court questioned the NHAI's powers regarding road safety and the lack of proactive measures during winter. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta assured the court that the statutory scheme would be studied to improve safety protocols.
Facts for Prelims
- BodyNHAI: National Highways Authority of India is the primary body responsible for the development and maintenance of national highways.
For Mains
Q. Critically analyze the institutional challenges in ensuring road safety on national highways and the role of NHAI in coordinating with state-level administrations.
Dimensions to cover in your answer
- Jurisdictional friction: Overlap between NHAI's central mandate and state police's local enforcement powers
- Accountability gap: Lack of a unified safety protocol for extreme weather conditions on high-speed corridors
Keywords: Institutional accountability · Inter-agency coordination · Statutory framework · Public safety infrastructure
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This note is generated automatically from SatyaDheesh's news feed and mapped to the UPSC CSE syllabus. Check facts against the original report or PIB before using them in an answer.