BALRAM KUMAWAT vs UOI

The Supreme Court addressed whether 'mammoth ivory' imported into India falls under the definition of 'ivory imported in India' as prohibited by the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972, following its 1991 amendment. The appellants argued that mammoth ivory, derived from an extinct species, is biologically and legally distinct from the ivory of extant elephants. The court examined the distinction between fossilized mammoth remains and living species under the Act and CITES guidelines.