1. The Supreme Court set aside the National Green Tribunal (NGT) and Madras High Court orders halting Auroville township development, citing the need for a balance between environmental protection and development.
  2. The court clarified that the Master Plan of Auroville was approved by the Human Resource Development Ministry in 2001 and published in the gazette in 2010.
  3. Petitioners argued that road construction in the Darkali forest area would destroy the environment, while the Auroville Foundation stated it was man-made forest and did not require forest clearance.
  4. The court emphasized both the right to a clean environment and the right to development under Articles 14, 19, and 21 of the Constitution.
  5. It concluded that the NGT exceeded its jurisdiction and termed the Tribunal’s directions “untenable in law,” allowing development to resume.