In March 2017, a High Court in India had accorded the status of living

In March 2017, a High Court in India had accorded the status of living human entities to which two of the following rivers?

Brahmaputra and Ganga
Ganga and Yamuna
Yamuna and Godavari
Krishna and Kaveri
This question was previously asked in
UPSC CAPF – 2017
The correct answer is B) Ganga and Yamuna.
In March 2017, the Uttarakhand High Court, in a landmark judgment, granted the status of living human entities (legal persons) to the Ganga and Yamuna rivers, including their tributaries. This ruling aimed to protect the rivers and recognize their ecological and cultural significance.
The judgment appointed individuals (like the Director of the Namami Gange project, the Chief Secretary of Uttarakhand, and the Advocate General of Uttarakhand) as legal custodians responsible for conserving and protecting the rivers. The ruling was inspired by a similar decision in New Zealand which granted legal personhood to the Whanganui River. However, this judgment was later stayed by the Supreme Court of India, which cited practical difficulties in implementing the decision.