India, Sept. 12 -- The Supreme Court on Friday made pointed observations about lives of the elite and the employment conditions of poor people, as it heard a case about the ban on firecrackers in Delhi about a month ahead of the Diwali festival. Here are key comments made by the court:

In April, the court held that such a ban throughout the year was absolutely essential, considering the "horrible" air quality in Delhi-NCR. By the court's nudge, neighbouring states of UP, Haryana, and Rajasthan also put bans on firecrackers in the NCR districts.

Firecracker traders have pointed out that due to orders passed by the top court, their licenses were being revoked even though these were originally valid till 2027-28.

The court directed the st...