Daily Briefing: The long and short of the Aravalli Hills row

On that note, let’s get to the rest of the edition👇

🚨 Big Story

As pressure mounts on the central government to protect the Aravalli Hills, the Union Environment Ministry has written to the state governments of Haryana, Rajasthan, and Gujarat, instructing them to follow the Supreme Court’s direction and not grant new mining leases until the Management Plan on Sustainable Mining (MPSM) is finalised.

For context, on November 20, the Supreme Court accepted a new definition under which the Aravallis comprise any landform at an elevation of 100 metres or more above the local relief. This sparked concerns that 90% of the hills will be excluded from protection against mining and construction.

Notably, 15 years ago, the Supreme Court had rejected the 100-metre height definition put forth by the Rajasthan government at the time. It had also ordered a survey by the Forest Survey of India (FSI) of the hills, not confined to peaks above 100 m. This survey defined the Aravallis as terrain with slopes of 3 degrees or more. However, this definition was ignored by the court in its order last month.

In Rajasthan, the Aravalli row presents a test for both the BJP government and the Opposition Congress. The BJP is facing calls from the public to save the Aravallis, while the Congress has launched that movement with hopes to get some traction.

Why save the Aravallis? The hill range, already degraded by years of mining and development activities, provides priceless ecological services. Over a billion years old, the Aravallis are a shield for north and northwest India, and essential for recharging aquifers and groundwater. Nikhil Ghanekar explains in detail.

⚡Only in Express

As we wrap up 2025, a new flashpoint has emerged between the BJP-led government and the Opposition Congress: the rural job guarantee scheme. The government has brought in the VB-G RAM G Act in place of the earlier MGNREGA. One of the Opposition’s criticisms includes the replacement of Mahatma Gandhi’s name with ‘Ram’ (as an acronym). The overhauling of the rural jobs scheme is bound to sharpen the battlelines in the coming year. Neerja Chowdhury decodes why.

📰 From the Front Page

‘Will challenge’: On Tuesday, the Delhi High Court granted conditional bail to expelled BJP leader Kuldeep Sengar, suspending his life sentence in the 2017 Unnao rape case. The CBI on Wednesday evening said it will file a special leave petition in the Supreme Court to oppose the bail. This came on the day the survivor met with Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi, seeking protection from a top lawyer and refuge in a Congress-ruled state.

Fissures: Long-simmering tensions between natives and settlers in the West Karbi Anglong area in Assam came to a boil, unleashing violence on Monday and Tuesday. Two lives were lost, houses and shops were set on fire and ransacked, and a mob clashed with the police. There was restive silence on Wednesday as Army columns marched through the markets and villages. Sukrita Baruah captures what set off the violence and its aftermath.

📌 Must Read

Donors: Of the over Rs 6,000 crore donated to the BJP in 2024-25, only 5.6% of the contributions came from individuals. Electoral trusts, businesses and other organisations made up the rest. In contrast, 26% of Rs 516-crore donations to the Congress were from individual donors. Who donated to whom? Read.

Headwinds: Despite concerns over US President Donald Trump’s trade and immigration policies, the US economy registered its strongest growth in the three-months to September. What’s behind the uptick, and can it sustain the momentum? Anil Sasi analyses data on consumer spending, trade and inflation.

⏳ And Finally…

R Madhavan has joined a growing list of celebrities — including Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and NTR Jr — who have turned to the courts over the alleged misuse of their names and images on social media. As AI-generated impersonation and misuse proliferate online, courts are stepping in to safeguard personality rights. But what exactly are personality rights, and how does the law interpret them? We explain.

🎧 Before you go, tune in to today’s ‘3 Things’ podcast episode, where we discuss the government takedown notices to social media platforms, a key order in the National Herald case, and Jamia professor’s suspension.

That’s all for today, folks! Until tomorrow,
Sonal Gupta

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