Key Points
The Supreme Court of India has taken suo motu cognisance of concerns over the redefinition of the Aravalli Hills and will hear the matter on December 29 through a three judge special vacation bench led by Surya Kant.
The controversy centres on the court approved definition that classifies Aravalli Hills as landforms with an elevation of 100 metres or more and defines the Aravalli Range as clusters of such hills within 500 metres, raising fears that ecologically sensitive areas could be opened to mining.
While declining to impose a complete mining ban, the court has ordered a halt on new mining leases until a sustainable mining plan is finalised following mass protests across states.
The Supreme Court of India has taken suo motu cognisance of issues surrounding the recent redefinition of the Aravalli Hills and decided to hear the matter on 29 December 2025. The case will be heard by a three judge Special Vacation Bench headed by CJI Surya Kant, along with Justices JK Maheshwari and AG Masih.
The court’s intervention follows growing concerns raised by environmental groups and activists over the implications of the new definition, which they argue could open large parts of the fragile Aravalli ecosystem to mining activity. The Aravalli range spans across Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan and Gujarat and is considered a critical ecological barrier that helps prevent the eastward spread of the Thar desert and helps mitigate pollution in the area. Citizens across states, and especially in Rajasthan, have carried out mass protests against the definition and its implications.
In a judgment delivered in November 2025, the Supreme Court accepted the recommendations of a committee constituted by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change to bring uniformity in how the Aravalli Hills and Ranges are identified. The committee had been set up after the court noted that different states were using varying definitions of the Aravallis while regulating mining activity.
Under the accepted definition, any landform located in notified Aravalli districts with an elevation of 100 metres or more from the local relief is to be classified as an Aravalli Hill. The ruling further states that the entire landform enclosed by the lowest contour line, along with its supporting slopes and associated landforms, will be deemed part of the Aravalli Hills regardless of gradient.
The committee also defined the Aravalli Range as a cluster of two or more such hills located within 500 metres of each other, measured from the outermost point of the lowest contour line on either side.
Alongside the definitions, the Supreme Court accepted the committee’s recommendations on regulating mining activity in the region. While the court declined to impose a blanket ban on mining in the Aravallis, it observed that complete prohibition had previously led to illegal mining, the rise of mining mafias and criminalisation.
At the same time, the court directed authorities to clearly identify zones where mining would be prohibited or allowed only under exceptional and scientifically justified circumstances. These include ecologically sensitive areas, conservation critical zones and restoration priority regions within the broader Aravalli landscape.
The court further ordered that no new mining leases should be granted until a Management Plan for Sustainable Mining is finalised. This plan is to be prepared by the Environment Ministry through the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education.
Despite these directions, the redefinition itself triggered criticism. Activists and scientists argued that the elevation based criteria could exclude large tracts of forested or rocky terrain – with estimates going up to 90% – that are ecologically part of the Aravallis but do not meet the 100 metre threshold. They also questioned whether the new definition was adopted without adequate scientific assessment or public consultation.
These concerns led the Supreme Court to take up the issue on its own motion, listing the matter as “In Re: Definition of Aravalli Hills and Ranges and Ancillary Issues.” The court will now examine whether the adopted definition sufficiently safeguards the ecological integrity of the range while balancing regulatory clarity for states.
Following earlier court orders, the Centre has directed states to halt the grant of new mining leases in the Aravallis until the sustainable mining plan is in place. The Environment Ministry has also tasked the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE) with identifying additional areas across the Aravalli landscape where mining should be prohibited, based on ecological, geological and landscape level considerations.
The upcoming hearing is expected to revisit these safeguards and address apprehensions that the redefinition may dilute long standing protections for one of India’s oldest mountain systems.
(DS)
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