The two-judge bench chastised the 10 states for not complying with national standards that schools teach children responsibility towards rivers, forests and mountains.

"The last opportunity is being given to these defaulting states to file their responses and deposit the fine within four weeks, failing which their chief secretaries will be held responsible," said the ruling by Justices N. Santosh Hegde and B.P. Singh.

The Supreme Court was hearing public interest litigation from environmentalists.

The states criticised by the bench are Goa, Maharashtra and Rajasthan in the west, Arunachal Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal and Assam in the east, along with central Madhya Pradesh and northern Kashmir.

TERRA.WIRE