The Supreme Court has constituted a five-member High-Powered Committee (HPC), headed by the Director General of the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE), to undertake a comprehensive scientific assessment of the definition and demarcation of the ecologically sensitive Aravalli Hills and Ranges. The panel has been directed to submit its report by 31 August 2026, with the matter posted for further hearing on 7 September.

Who is on the panel

A three-judge Bench led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, along with Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M. Pancholi, named the Director General of ICFRE as ex officio Chairperson. The members include former Forest Survey of India Director General Dr Subhash Ashutosh, retired Geological Survey of India Director Dr Rajendra Kumar Sharma, former MoEFCC Joint Secretary Brij Mohan Singh Rathore, and former Delhi University Botany head Prof. Ashok K. Bhatnagar.

Professor Jagdish Krishnaswamy, Dean of the School of Environment and Sustainability at the Indian Institute for Human Settlements, and Professor Laxmikant Sharma of the Central University of Haryana have been named special invitees to assist the committee.

What the court said

The Bench said the panel will examine the environmental, geological and ecological implications of the parameters used to identify the Aravalli range, particularly issues flowing from paragraphs 9 and 10 of its order dated 29 December 2025. The court underscored the need for expert scrutiny “in light of the fragile ecosystem and rich biodiversity of the Aravalli Hills and Ranges”.

The committee, the Bench observed, would help determine whether the contemplated measures might produce ecological or environmental consequences that “may subsequently prove difficult, if not impossible, to reverse”. Any final course of action, it added, must be “informed, scientifically sound, and consistent with the principles of environmental protection and sustainable development”.

Consultative scope and stakeholders

The court directed the HPC to adopt a broad-based consultative approach, issuing a public notice inviting representations from governments, environmentalists, conservationists, non-profits, mining lease holders, project proponents, farmers, mine workers and local communities. The apex court clarified that the issues identified earlier were “only indicative and not exhaustive”, leaving the panel free to widen its scope.

Why the redefinition matters

The proceedings stem from a suo motu case on defining the Aravalli Hills. In December 2024, the top court kept in abeyance directions that had prescribed a revised definition — classifying only landforms with an elevation of 100 metres or more as Aravalli hills — over concerns that the formulation could leave large, ecologically connected stretches outside the protective net. In January, the court extended the stay and ordered status quo while inviting suggestions for a specialised committee.

The Aravalli range, spread across Rajasthan, Haryana, Delhi and Gujarat, has come under sustained pressure from mining activity and environmental degradation. In March, Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav told the Rajya Sabha that the Centre was “fully committed to conserving the Aravalli mountain range” and would extend complete cooperation to the court, citing initiatives such as the Aravalli Green Wall Project covering 29 districts.

What's next

The HPC is expected to deliver its findings by 31 August, ahead of the next hearing on 7 September. Its recommendations could reshape how India legally delineates one of its oldest mountain systems — and decide whether regulated mining can co-exist with ecological continuity in the gaps between hill formations.