The Rajasthan High Court Registers Suo Motu PIL over the alarming degradation of Jaipur’s historic Walled City, saying immediate and concrete steps are needed to protect its UNESCO World Heritage Site status.
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Jaipur: The Rajasthan High Court has directed its Registry to register as a Public Interest Litigation the suo motu cognizance it took of the preservation of the global identity of the “Pink City”, issuing notice to the State of Rajasthan and others after expressing deep concern over the condition of the Walled City, which was accorded World Heritage Site status in 2019 [Suo Moto In Re: Global Identity of the Pink City v. State of Rajasthan and Others].
A Division Bench of Chief Justice Sanjay K. Agrawal and Justice Sameer Jain passed the order on October 1, 2026. Cognizance had initially been taken by Justice Pramil Kumar Mathur, on the basis of a news report published in the Rajasthan Patrika on September 27, 2026.
What the Court recorded
The Bench said it had perused the World Heritage Committee’s 2025 decision and its draft decisions, and described the issues before it as relating to the “preservation, protection, and maintenance of the global identity of the ‘Pink City’.” On the state of the Walled City, it said:
“This Court expresses its deep concern regarding the alarming degradation of the historic Walled City of Jaipur.”
The Court added that there is “a grave and imminent necessity to take immediate, effective, and concrete steps” to protect the UNESCO World Heritage Site status.
The directions
The Registry was directed to register the cognizance as a PIL petition. Notice was issued to the respondents, and Advocate General Rajendra Prasad, assisted by Harshita Thakral, accepted notice on behalf of the State and was given two weeks to file a reply. The matter is listed in the week commencing October 26, 2026.
Why the order matters
The order puts the conservation of a living historic city before a constitutional court on its own motion, and signals that the High Court will examine what the State has done in response to the World Heritage Committee’s concerns. The affidavits due from the State will show where matters stand. The order records concern and issues notice only, and it makes no final finding against any authority.
Case Title: Suo Moto In Re: Global Identity of the Pink City v. State of Rajasthan and Others [D.B. Civil Writ Petition No. 19865/2026]
Bench: Chief Justice Sanjay K. Agrawal and Justice Sameer Jain, Rajasthan High Court, Jaipur Bench
Date of Order: October 1, 2026
Appearances: Sandeep Pathak, Madhusudan Singh Rajpurohit, Yuvraj Samant with Neha Amola, and Aniroodh Mathur for the petitioners; Advocate General Rajendra Prasad, assisted by Harshita Thakral, for the State