Supreme Court Stays Aravalli Definition: BJP and Congress React Amid Ecological Debate
The court has also proposed the constitution of a high-powered expert committee to examine unresolved issues.
Supreme Court Stays Aravalli Definition: BJP and Congress React Amid Ecological Debate
On Monday, December 29, 2025, the Supreme Court of India stayed its own November 20, 2025, judgement that had accepted a contentious definition of the Aravalli hills and range.The move that has triggered widespread debate and protests across multiple states. The stay effectively puts the earlier definition in abeyance and signals a reopening of the legal and ecological debate around how the Aravalli should be defined and protected. The court has also proposed the constitution of a high-powered expert committee to examine unresolved issues relating to the height-based definition, ecological continuity, and permissible mining, and will hear the matter again in January with detailed submissions from stakeholders, sources said.
According to legal experts, the November ruling had defined an “Aravalli Hill” as any landform rising at least 100 metres above the surrounding terrain and an “Aravalli Range” as two or more such hills within 500 metres of each other. Under that definition, significant parts of the ecologically sensitive hills that lie below the 100-metre threshold could lose legal protection, raising concerns among environmentalists and opposition parties about possible exploitation for mining and development.
Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav welcomed the stay and said on X that he “welcomes the Supreme Court directions introducing a stay … and the formation of a new committee to study issues,” reaffirming the government’s commitment to protection and restoration of the Aravalli range. He also clarified that the ban on new mining leases or renewals remains in effect pending the committee’s work.
BJP leaders, including Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, described the issue as politically inflated by opposition forces, asserting that “as soon as a clarification notice was issued, everything got cleared,” according to party sources. Haryana Agriculture Minister Shyam Singh Rana also welcomed the decision, emphasising the importance of the Aravallis for the ecosystem.
On the opposition side, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh welcomed the stay and urged Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav to step down, accusing him of defending a definition opposed by experts and environmentalists. Former Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot said the stay was a positive development and expressed hope that the government would recognise public sentiment and strengthen protection for the hills.
Other critics, including Shiv Sena UBT leader Aaditya Thackeray, echoed concerns that the Aravalli range remains under threat from policies that could weaken ecological safeguards, stressing that “it is important that we don’t fall prey to the misinformation campaign … to say that the Aravalli Range is safe; it is NOT with the government’s intent to redefine it.”
Source: Hindustan Times