Overview

• The three-judge bench of Justices Surya Kant, Ujjal Bhuyan and N. Kotiswar Singh issued notice on a petition by Kisan Mahapanchayat challenging the duty-free policy.
• The court said it would hear the case in light of recommendations from the CACP and NITI Aayog, and it cautioned that any curbs must not hurt end consumers.
• The petitioner argued that yellow peas are substituting for pulses like tur, moong and urad, depressing farmgate prices below MSP.
• Advocate Prashant Bhushan told the court imports are arriving at roughly Rs 35 per kg versus MSPs near Rs 85 per kg for key pulses, creating a steep price gap.
• The bench asked the Centre to respond and pressed the petitioner on claims about health impacts and on assertions that the Agriculture Ministry had also raised concerns.