Supreme Court Forms High-Powered Expert Panel to Re-examine Aravalli Definition
Summary
The Supreme Court of India has constituted a high-powered expert committee to re-examine the ecological and geographical definition of the Aravalli hills, specifically to determine whether hills exceeding 100 metres in height form a continuous ecological zone even when separated by gaps of more than 500 metres.
●The committee will also assess whether mining activities should be permitted in such intervening spaces.
●The Aravalli range, stretching across Rajasthan, Haryana, Delhi, and Gujarat, is one of the world's oldest mountain ranges and serves as a critical ecological barrier against desertification from the Thar Desert.
●The definitional ambiguity has long been exploited by mining interests and real estate developers to claim that certain tracts fall outside protected Aravalli territory.
●The Supreme Court's intervention underscores the judiciary's active role in environmental governance and the need for scientifically grounded policy frameworks to protect fragile ecosystems from commercial exploitation.
The Aravalli range is among the oldest fold mountains in the world, pre-dating even the Himalayas, and runs approximately 800 km from Gujarat through Rajasthan, Haryana, and into Delhi.
●It acts as a watershed between the Indus and Gangetic river systems and is a critical green barrier against the advancing Thar Desert.
●The Supreme Court has historically been proactive in Aravalli protection — landmark orders in 2002 and 2018 restricted mining and construction.
●The current dispute centres on whether a 500-metre gap between hill segments breaks ecological continuity, a question with enormous implications for mining leases and real estate approvals across thousands of hectares.
The Aravalli definitional dispute is a classic intersection of ecology, law, and commercial interest — understanding the range's geography, judicial history, and ecological role is essential for both Prelims and Mains.
◎ In Simple Words
Imagine a very old mountain range like a giant green wall that stops desert sand from spreading into cities — that's what the Aravalli hills do for northern India. Some people wanted to mine rocks in the gaps between these hills, arguing those gaps are not really part of the protected mountains. The Supreme Court, which is like the country's top referee, has now asked a team of experts to carefully check whether those gaps are still part of the same ecological family and whether mining should be allowed there. This is important because getting the definition wrong could destroy forests, wildlife, and the natural shield that protects millions of people from dust storms.
Factual Pointers
Practice · 1 question
The Supreme Court recently constituted a high-powered expert panel to re-examine the definition of the Aravalli hills. Which of the following statements about the Aravalli range is/are correct?
1. It is one of the oldest fold mountain ranges in the world, predating the Himalayas.
2. It acts as a natural barrier preventing the westward spread of the Thar Desert.
3. It forms the watershed between the Indus and Brahmaputra river systems.
4. It runs through the states of Gujarat, Rajasthan, Haryana, and Delhi.
Select the correct answer using the codes below:
Environmental Law & Institutions
This sub-topic has appeared in 7 UPSC Prelims questions.