Supreme Court Keeps In Abeyance Its Aravalli Hills Judgment, To Set Up Fresh Expert Committee
The Supreme Court of India has placed its November 20, 2025, judgment on the Aravalli Hills in abeyance and ordered a new expert committee to review the matter.
A vacation bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant, along with Justices J.K. Maheshwari and Augustine George Masih, initiated this suo motu action in the case ‘In Re: Definition of Aravalli Hills and Ranges and Ancillary Issues’. The court noted misinterpretations of the prior verdict, which accepted a uniform definition from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change—defining “Aravalli Hill” as landforms over 100 meters elevation and “Aravalli Range” as clusters within 500 meters. It also banned new mining leases across Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Gujarat pending expert reports.
The bench directed formation of a high-powered panel of domain experts for a holistic review, addressing ecological risks, mining impacts, exclusions, and conservation gaps. All prior recommendations and directions remain stayed until the committee reports, preventing irreversible actions. Notices were issued to the Centre and others, with the next hearing set for January 21, 2026.
The original November 20 ruling stemmed from ongoing environmental litigation like the T.N. Godavarman Thirumulpad case, aiming to protect the Aravalli range—the world’s oldest mountain system—while balancing sustainable mining. Recent applications sought clarifications amid controversy over the “100-meter rule,” prompting this unprecedented self-stay by the court.
