The article “Skilful Balancing Act” explores the Great Nicobar Project, an ₹80,000-crore initiative aimed at transforming the island into a strategic maritime and logistics hub. It highlights India’s attempt to balance national security and economic growth with ecological preservation. Despite legal challenges regarding environmental clearances and threats to biodiversity, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) upheld the project, citing its strategic importance in the Indo-Pacific. The authors argue that this reflects a shift in environmental governance, where courts defer to expert executive bodies while prioritizing broader national interests, aligning India with international legal trends in managing complex development-conservation trade-offs.
