The Supreme Court on Monday said that certain clarifications were necessary regarding the definitions it recently approved for the Aravalli Hills, while staying a ruling passed last month on the issue.
The Court also stated that a committee of experts will be constituted to study the environmental impact of the recommendations made by an earlier committee that was mostly comprised of bureaucrats.
A Bench of Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant and Justices JK Maheshwari and AG Masih thus stayed the recent ruling on Aravalli that was based on the recommendations made by a panel constituted to define the Aravalli range for the purposes of mining.
The Court passed today's order in a suo motu case on issues concerning the definition of the Aravalli Hills, following widespread protests over fears of threats to the mountain range.
"We direct that recommendations of the committee and findings of the Supreme Court ... shall remain in abeyance till then. Case to be taken up on January 21, 2026," the Court ordered.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta appeared for the Union government.
"There were a lot of misconceptions regarding orders, the government's role, etc. An expert committee was constituted and a report was given which the court accepted," Mehta said.
CJI Kant said that an independent expert opinion was needed to resolve ambiguities and to provide definitive guidance on the issues concerning Aravalli, particularly the definitions of hills and ranges.
The Court added that there was a need to examine whether the restrictive demarcation approved last month would broaden the scope of areas where activities like mining can be permitted.
"An analysis of whether sustainable mining or regulated mining within the newly demarcated Aravalli area, notwithstanding the regulated oversight, would result in any adverse ecological consequences... that aspect can be examined," CJI Kant said.
It then issued notice to the Union government as well as the concerned State governments. In the interim, the Court ordered that the earlier court directions as well as the previous committee's recommendations shall remain in abeyance.
The Aravalli range spans across Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan and Gujarat. The suo motu case was initiated amid protests over a potential threat to the Aravallis following the Supreme Court’s decision to accept a committee’s recommendations on the mountain range.
Last month, the top court had approved an elevation-linked definition for classifying landforms as part of the Aravalli Hills for the purpose of mining regulation. According to reports, the definition will exclude more than 90 per cent of the Aravallis for the purpose of mining.
In May 2024, the Court in a matter related to illegal mining in Aravalli had called for properly defining the mountain range. It was then noted that States had adopted different definitions for “Aravalli Hills/Ranges”.
A constituted a committee to look into the issues then submitted a report in October this year, suggesting various measures to protect and preserve the Aravalli Hills.
It said that any landform in the Aravalli districts having an elevation of 100 metres or more from the local relief shall be termed as Aravalli Hills.
Further, it defined the Aravalli Range as “two or more Aravalli Hills located within a proximity of 500m from each other, measured from the outermost point on the boundary of the lowest contour line on either side."
In the judgment dated November 20, a Bench of then CJI BR Gavai and Justices K Vinod Chandran and NV Anjaria accepted the recommendations made by the Committee with regard to the definitions as well as a prohibition of mining in core or inviolate areas.
The Court also decided against imposing a complete ban on mining activities in the Aravallis, observing that such a prohibition could lead to illegal mining activities, mafias and criminal activities.