There are always two sides to a coin. There will be people who will try and exploit (Public Interest Litigations), whether the Judge allows it to be misused... that is where the wisdom of the courts lies.
Ex. Delhi High Court Judge, Justice RS Sodhi.
Advocates and law students have often tried to use PIL to earn publicity recently. The court, on many events, has raised its voice to call these "PIL as Publicity Stunt." The court is stressed-out how such PILs, instead of fulfilling the goal of PILs, damage the public reputation. Notably, a no. of PILs being filed by lawyers, law students, and other stakeholders in recent years.
With the increased number of PILs filed, a trend has increased of filing shallow petitions, which contrasts with the soul of the concept of PILs. The Supreme Court and High Courts have frequently alerted against such conduct. The Covid-19 pandemic only showed a rise in filing more such petitions.
There's still an untapped potential to enhance the system to bolster PILs for healing the marginalized and poor. A question often appears why there are few public interest lawyers in India, which is due to how badly it pays. PIL lawyers in the U.S. (sometimes teased - called 'ambulance chasers') are much easier to find. They mainly operate on a 'no-win, no-fee basis, given the massive damages granted by U.S courts and which are then split between the client and the advocate.
PIL is an essential part of judicial activism. It helps the Judiciary of India to come to the rescue of its people, especially marginalized ones. Thus, it is mandatory to ensure that the concept is widely used and is not misused to make personal gains. Recent years have seen instances of such abuse and exploitation of the PIL, which should work as a deterrent to prevent such incidents. No doubt, Public Interest Litigation proves to be an asset to the people if used appropriately and for the right reasons.
