Supreme Court seeks names of experts to study definition of Aravalli hills

Hearing the matter again on Wednesday, a bench – also comprising Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi – said the committee “shall work under direct control and supervision of this court”. It said it wanted domain experts from various fields like environment and forest, among others, to come under one umbrella and examine the issue.

Further, it asked the amicus curiae, senior advocate K Parameshwar, to place on record a note containing the issues, which he has identified.

“…We have impressed upon Parameshwar and others assisting us that with a view to enabling this court to take a holistic view of different issues, some of which have been tentatively formulated in order dated December 29, 2025, a comprehensive note shall be placed on record along with the proposed questions that will arise for consideration. We have also asked the Additional Solicitor General as well as the Amicus to suggest the names of some of eminent environmental scientists, forest experts including those who are having special expertise in ensuring regulatory compliance, so that an expert body can be constituted to look into all aspects and assist the court,” the court said in its order.

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for an intervenor, requested the court to have a preliminary hearing before setting up the committee. “Please have a preliminary hearing because it is our position in law that mountains cannot be defined. Himalayas cannot be defined, Aravalli’s cannot be defined, these are sub-tectonic strata, which moves from Gujarat right up to Uttar Pradesh. Problem is that you start defining Aravalli’s, you will arrive at a problem,” he said.

The bench will hear the matter next after four weeks.

During the hearing, senior advocate Raju Ramachandran – appearing for some farmers from Rajasthan – submitted that illegal mining was still happening in some parts of the state.

He added that even after the court’s November 20, 2025 order, “there has been some activity in the Aravallis, as recently as in January, mining leases have been granted and trees have been cut…. So, that has to be stopped”.

The CJI then told Additional Solicitor General K M Nataraj, appearing for Rajasthan, to “ensure that our directions are meticulously complied”.

He added, “…There are people who are incorrigibly involved in illegal mining, so you have to put your machinery there, whatever mechanism you want to involve, but make sure… because illegal mining can lead to irreversible losses and the consequences will be very devastating. In regulated mining, one can understand that a regulator is there, but in this kind of situation illicit mining has to be stopped. In any case nobody should be allowed.”

The court recorded Nataraj’s assurance. “(Nataraj) has assured that all possible measures will be taken to ensure that no illegal mining takes place and law must take its own course against those indulging in such illegal activities.”

The court also directed that its December 29 interim directions shall continue to operate till further orders.

The SC had on November 20 accepted a uniform definition of the Aravalli Hills and ranges and banned the grant of fresh mining leases inside its areas spanning Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan and Gujarat until experts’ reports are out. It had accepted the recommendations of a committee of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change on the definition of the Aravalli Hills and ranges to protect the world’s oldest mountain system.

The SC had initiated the suo motu proceedings following public outcry over the November 20 order.

Staying the earlier judgment, the SC had said on December 29, “it seems prima facie that both the committee’s report and the judgment of this court have omitted to expressly clarify certain critical issues…” and that the “stay shall remain in effect until the present proceedings reach a state of logical finality, ensuring that no irreversible administrative or ecological actions are taken based on the current framework”.