VIVEK SWAMI Vs. UNION OF INDIA

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The petitioner, namely one Vivek Swami claiming to be an animal and bird lover, has filed the present writ petition styled as a Public Interest Litigation with the following prayers:-

(2.) It appears from the pleadings that the Government of India, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has issued an Advisory on 11.06.2020 (Annexure-1) under the heading "Government issues advisory to streamline the process for import and possession of exotic live species in India" and thereafter in furtherance thereof, a Voluntary Disclosure Scheme was issued by the Wildlife Division, Government of India under Annexure-2. The Voluntary Disclosure Scheme is apparently issued for the purpose of collecting stock information for persons who have in their possession "exotic live species" i.e. exotic live animals and birds within India through such voluntary disclosure and limited such disclosure upto the period till December, 2020. Such scheme was evolved by the Government of India since it did not possess necessary information of such stock of exotic species either by the State or the Union.

(3.) On perusal of the Voluntary Disclosure Scheme, it appears that options have been provided to persons to avail the benefit of the scheme within the stipulated time limit of six months and thereafter to maintain statutory records of addition or deletion in any declared stock of "exotic live species". The clear object behind the collection of such data appears to be to enable the Government to have necessary information/data, which would assist the Government to protect the wild fauna as well as protecting public interest.