India is capable of leading a global movement for ‘planetary stewardship’: Jitendra Singh
In New Delhi on November 22, LatestNewsX reported that Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science & Technology, Jitendra Singh, declared India is ready to lead a worldwide effort for “planetary stewardship.” He called for a global coalition that could confront the pressing issues of climate change, environmental degradation, emerging technologies, and planetary governance.
While speaking at the panel titled “Climate Justice and Planetary Stewardship: Legal frameworks for existential challenges” during the 26th International Conference of Chief Justices of the World in Lucknow, he highlighted how today’s judges stand at a crossroads—balancing constitutional interpretation, scientific insight, and moral duty—and thus play a pivotal role in shaping humanity’s trajectory.
Singh emphasized that the world is in the midst of “interconnected crises” such as climate change, pandemics, cyber threats, ocean degradation, and rapid tech disruption—none of which respect national borders—and that these challenges demand worldwide legal responses founded on equity, integrity, and intergenerational justice.
He noted that, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India has positioned itself at the forefront of several future‑oriented missions—from the Deep Ocean Mission and National Quantum Mission to ambitious initiatives in cybersecurity, biotechnology, AI, and space reforms—demonstrating the country’s readiness to contribute meaningfully to global environmental governance and technology regulation.
Addressing emerging legal questions—privacy versus surveillance, liberty versus national security, ownership versus data protection, and the rise of AI‑generated misinformation—Dr Singh warned that the judiciary will increasingly be tasked with interpreting laws in domains that were unimaginable even a decade ago, including space debris, outer‑space mining, deep‑sea resource exploitation, cross‑border climate accountability, and the evolving landscape of cybersecurity and AI ethics.
He urged India and the international community to update existing legal frameworks, especially in areas like space and oceans where traditional laws no longer address modern complexities.
“Climate change, ocean degradation, and space debris will outlast all of us—their consequences will be borne by the young boys and girls sitting here, and by the generations yet to come,” he remarked.
The minister called for embedding fiduciary duties into constitutions, treaties, and court judgments to protect the rights of future generations and uphold planetary stewardship.
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