{"id":62614,"date":"2025-12-26T17:20:04","date_gmt":"2025-12-26T11:50:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/?p=62614"},"modified":"2025-12-26T18:44:48","modified_gmt":"2025-12-26T13:14:48","slug":"supreme-court-aravalli-ecosystem","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/editorial-analysis\/26-12-2025\/supreme-court-aravalli-ecosystem","title":{"rendered":"Aravalli Ecosystem: Supreme Court&#8217;s Impact on Definition"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS3\/Environment &amp; Ecology<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/27-11-2025\/sc-approval-of-aravalli-hills-definition\"><strong>recent judgment of the Supreme Court of India<\/strong><\/a>, which <strong>redefined the Aravalli Hills<\/strong> by adopting <strong>an arbitrary \u2018100-metre local relief\u2019 criterion,<\/strong> prioritizes administrative convenience over ecological and scientific coherence, marking a decisive <strong>rupture in India\u2019s environmental jurisprudence.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Background and Judicial Interpretations<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/18-12-2025\/supreme-court-aravalli-boundaries-mining\"><strong>Supreme Court of India<\/strong>, in its <strong>November\u2013December 2025 order<\/strong><\/a>, finalized a uniform and scientific <strong>definition of <em>Aravalli Hills<\/em> and <em>Aravalli Ranges<\/em><\/strong> to regulate mining and ensure ecological protection.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It was followed by earlier directions issued in<strong> May 2024<\/strong> and in <strong>August 2025<\/strong>, mandating a standardized, evidence-based approach across all concerned States.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The Court recognized the <strong>Aravalli range\u2019s critical ecological role<\/strong> as a natural shield against desertification, a groundwater recharge zone, and a biodiversity habitat.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Supreme Court\u2019s Acceptance and Directions<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The <strong>Supreme Court accepted the Committee\u2019s recommendations<\/strong><strong>in full<\/strong> in its <strong>final order <\/strong>and issued the following directives:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Definition Acceptance:<\/strong> The Court formally adopted the MoEF&amp;CC definitions for <strong><em>Aravalli Hills<\/em><\/strong><strong> and <\/strong><strong><em>Aravalli Ranges<\/em><\/strong><strong>.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Mining Restrictions:<\/strong> Mining is <strong>prohibited in core\/inviolate areas<\/strong>, except for <strong>critical, strategic, and atomic minerals<\/strong> under the <strong>MMDR Act, 1957<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Sustainable Mining:<\/strong> Mining operations must strictly follow the Committee\u2019s guidelines for <strong>environmental compliance and sustainability<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Preparation of MPSM:<\/strong> The <strong>MoEF&amp;CC<\/strong>, through the <strong>Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE)<\/strong>, needs to prepare a <strong>Management Plan for Sustainable Mining (MPSM)<\/strong> across the entire Aravalli landscape.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Moratorium on New Leases:<\/strong> <strong>No new mining leases<\/strong> shall be granted until the MPSM is finalized.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Ongoing Mining Regulation:<\/strong> Existing mines may continue operations only under <strong>strict environmental compliance<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The Supreme Court observed that <strong>uncontrolled mining in the Aravallis<\/strong> poses a <em>\u2018great threat to the ecology of the nation\u2019<\/em> and emphasized the need for <strong>uniform protection criteria<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-background\" style=\"background-color:#fff2cc\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>Findings of MoEF&amp;CC Led Committee<\/strong><br>&#8211; It found that <strong>only Rajasthan<\/strong> had a pre-existing operational definition of the Aravalli Hills (based on the <strong>Richard Murphy Landform Classification, 2002<\/strong>), identified <strong>landforms rising 100 metres above local relief<\/strong> as hills.<br>1. During consultations, <strong>all States agreed<\/strong> to adopt and refine this definition for uniformity and ecological clarity.<br>&#8211; <strong>Key Recommendations: <\/strong>The Committee proposed major enhancements:<br>1. <strong>Uniform elevation criterion:<\/strong> All landforms rising <strong>100 metres or more<\/strong> above local relief to be classified as <em>Aravalli Hills<\/em>.<br>2. <strong>Protection of ranges:<\/strong> Hills within <strong>500 metres proximity<\/strong> to be recognized as <em>Aravalli Ranges<\/em>.<br>3. <strong>Survey-based mapping:<\/strong> All Aravalli hills and ranges to be <strong>marked on official Survey of India maps<\/strong>.<br>4. <strong>Protection of core\/inviolate areas:<\/strong> No mining in Protected Areas, Eco-Sensitive Zones, wetlands, or CAMPA sites.<br>5. <strong>Strict regulation and monitoring:<\/strong> Surveillance mechanisms (drones, CCTV, and district task forces) to prevent illegal mining.<br>6. <strong>Sustainable mining framework:<\/strong> Mining only in pre-designated, scientifically assessed zones.<br><strong>Operational Definitions of Aravalli Range &amp; Hills<\/strong><br>&#8211; <strong>Aravalli Hills: <\/strong>Any landform in the Aravalli districts rising <strong>100 metres or more above local relief<\/strong>, determined by the <strong>lowest contour line<\/strong> encircling the landform.<br>1. The entire area, including the hill, slopes, and supporting terrain forms part of the Aravalli Hill.<br>&#8211; <strong>Aravalli Range: <\/strong>Two or more Aravalli Hills within <strong>500 metres proximity<\/strong>, measured from their outermost contour boundaries, <strong>collectively form an <em>Aravalli Range<\/em>.<\/strong><br>1. The area between them, including valleys, slopes, and connecting landforms is <strong>deemed part of the range.<\/strong><br><strong>Ecological Significance of the Aravallis<\/strong><br>&#8211; The Aravalli Hills are among <strong>India\u2019s oldest geological formations, <\/strong>stretching from <strong>Delhi through Haryana, Rajasthan, and into Gujarat<\/strong>, recognized across <strong>37 districts. <\/strong>They act as:<br>1. A <strong>natural barrier<\/strong> against the expansion of the Thar Desert;<br>2. A <strong>groundwater recharge system<\/strong> supporting agriculture and livelihoods;<br>3. A <strong>biodiversity hotspot<\/strong> sustaining unique flora and fauna; and<br>4. A <strong>climatic stabilizer<\/strong> mitigating pollution and temperature extremes in the NCR region.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Concerns &amp; Issues Surrounding Recent Judgement<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Flawed Metrics and Misapplied Statistics<\/strong>: MoEF&amp;CC led Committee relied on <strong>district-wise average elevation<\/strong> to justify the 100-metre threshold, which is <strong>scientifically unsound<\/strong> for a terrain as heterogeneous as the Aravallis, where elevations range from <strong>20 to 600 metres<\/strong>.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Consequently, thousands of smaller hills, crucial for groundwater recharge, wildlife corridors, and soil stability, risk exclusion from legal protection.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Ignored Warnings and Compromised Expertise: <\/strong>The <strong>Amicus Curiae<\/strong> explicitly warned that adopting the 100-metre rule <strong>would open lower hills to mining, <\/strong>effectively <strong>dismantling the ecological integrity<\/strong> of the Aravallis.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The committee that finalized the definition lacked <strong>independent ecologists and social scientists<\/strong>, reducing complex ecological concerns to administrative details.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Problem of Legal Definitions: <\/strong>The Court\u2019s acceptance of an <strong>\u2018operational definition for mining\u2019<\/strong> raises serious concerns.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Legal definitions are <strong>not neutral instruments<\/strong>, and once areas fall outside their scope, they are effectively <strong>stripped of environmental protection<\/strong> <strong>and assessment measures like EIA.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Fragmenting the Aravallis: <\/strong>The Aravalli ecosystem functions as an <strong>interconnected system <\/strong>as <strong>low hills, foothills, and aquifers<\/strong> operate in tandem.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Protecting only the tallest peaks while disregarding the surrounding low-relief formations amounts to <strong>ecological amputation<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Efforts Safeguarding Aravallis<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Ecological Safeguards and Enforcement:<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Landscape-Level Protection: <\/strong>Treating the Aravallis as a <strong>continuous geological ridge<\/strong> ensures connectivity between ecosystems and prevents ecological fragmentation.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Transparent and Objective Mapping: <\/strong>Mandatory use of <strong>Survey of India maps<\/strong> makes enforcement objective and verifiable.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Technological Enforcement: <\/strong>Deployment of <strong>drones, GPS tracking, weighbridges<\/strong>, and <strong>district task forces<\/strong> strengthens real-time monitoring against illegal mining.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Biodiversity and Groundwater Conservation: <\/strong>By protecting slopes, foothills, and connecting valleys, the framework maintains:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Habitat connectivity<\/strong> for wildlife;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Groundwater recharge<\/strong> zones;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Soil stability<\/strong> and <strong>vegetation cover<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Management Plan for Sustainable Mining (MPSM): <\/strong>The forthcoming <strong>MPSM<\/strong>, modeled after the <strong>Saranda Forest Plan<\/strong> in Jharkhand, aims to:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Identify <strong>permissible and prohibited mining zones<\/strong>;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Assess <strong>ecological carrying capacity<\/strong> and <strong>cumulative impacts<\/strong>;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Establish <strong>restoration and rehabilitation protocols<\/strong> post-mining; and<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Ensure <strong>landscape-level conservation<\/strong> of the entire Aravalli ridge system from <strong>Gujarat to Delhi<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-background\" style=\"background-color:#ebecf0\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>Constitutional &amp; Legal Frameworks<\/strong><br>&#8211; <strong>Article 21 (Fundamental Right to Life):<\/strong> Judicial interpretation has expanded this to include the <em>right to a pollution-free environment and healthy living conditions<\/em>.<br>&#8211; <strong>Article 48A (DPSP):<\/strong> Directs the State to <em>protect and improve the environment<\/em> and safeguard forests and wildlife.<br>&#8211; <strong>Article 51A(g) (Fundamental Duties):<\/strong> Imposes a duty on every citizen to <em>protect and improve the natural environment<\/em>, including forests, lakes, rivers, and wildlife.<br>&#8211; <strong>Legislative Support:<\/strong> Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 defines \u2018environment\u2019 broadly, covering air, water, land, and their interrelationships.<br><strong>Safeguards For Mining and Ecological Protection<\/strong><br>&#8211; <strong>Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980: <\/strong>Requires prior approval from the central government for using forest land for non-forest purposes, including mining.<br>1. Mining projects need to undergo rigorous scrutiny and obtain Forest Clearance from MoEFCC.<br>2. <strong>EIA Notification, 2006: <\/strong>Mandates environmental clearance for mining projects based on their size and potential impact.Includes public consultation and environmental management plans.<br>3. <strong>Mineral Conservation and Development Rules (MCDR), 2017:<\/strong> Ensure scientific mining, environmental protection, and post-mining land reclamation.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Conclusion: Judicial Responsibility<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Historically, the <strong>Supreme Court has been the custodian of India\u2019s environmental conscience<\/strong>, upholding the principle that the <strong>State is a trustee of natural assets under the Constitution<\/strong>.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>However, the recent judgement threatens to dilute that legacy.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The Court needs to revisit this decision to restore scientific integrity and reaffirm its commitment to environmental stewardship.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Preserving the Aravallis demands more than procedural compliance, it requires <strong>a jurisprudence rooted in ecological literacy, precaution, and intergenerational responsibility<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-background\" style=\"background-color:#fff2cc\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>Daily Mains Practice Question<\/strong><br><strong>[Q]<\/strong> Examine the implications of the recent judgment of the Supreme Court of India redefining the Aravalli Hills for India\u2019s environmental jurisprudence. How does it balance ecological preservation with administrative interpretation?<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/indianexpress.com\/article\/opinion\/columns\/aravallis-ecological-supreme-court-mining-10437112\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source: IE<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/UPSC-Editorial-Analysis-26-December-2025.pdf\">Download PDF<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p><strong>Published on:<\/strong> 26th December, 2025<\/p>\n<p>The recent judgment of the Supreme Court of India, which redefined the Aravalli Hills by adopting an arbitrary \u2018100-metre local relief\u2019 criterion, prioritizes administrative convenience over ecological and scientific coherence, marking a decisive rupture in India\u2019s environmental jurisprudence.<\/p \n\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":62616,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-62614","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-editorial-analysis"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/12\/aravalli-ecosystem.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/62614","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=62614"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/62614\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":62653,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/62614\/revisions\/62653"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/62616"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=62614"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=62614"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=62614"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}