In a significant move, the Supreme Court of India has suspended its own recent verdict that narrowly redefined the Aravalli mountain range, a decision hailed as a crucial step to safeguard the region's fragile ecology. The court's stay order, issued on December 30, 2025, puts the controversial "100-metre rule" in abeyance and mandates the formation of an expert committee to re-examine how the ancient hills should be mapped and protected.
A Controversial Verdict Revisited
The apex court's decision to grant a stay brings relief to environmentalists and corrects a course that had sparked widespread concern. On November 20, 2025, the court had accepted a definition proposed by a panel of the Union Environment Ministry, which stated that only landforms with an elevation of 100 metres or more should be considered part of the Aravalli mountain system.
This definition was immediately controversial. Critics argued it would effectively shrink the protection for the over 650-kilometre-long ancient range to just a few tall hills, leaving the vast majority vulnerable. The Forest Survey of India (FSI) had flagged that less than 10% of the Aravalli hills would meet this 100-metre threshold. Both the SC's own amicus curiae and the Central Empowered Committee (CEC) concurred, warning that the new criteria could open vast stretches of the Aravallis to destructive mining activities.
Why the Supreme Court Stepped Back
The bench, led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kanttwo-decade-old jurisprudence established since the landmark Godavarman case of 1996. In that tradition, the court had used an expansive interpretation of forests to push state governments like Rajasthan, Haryana, and Delhi to protect the Aravallis from rampant mining.
The original demand for a clear definition arose from a need to address a regulatory deficit, as inconsistent definitions were found to be a major reason for persistent illegal quarrying. However, the chosen 100-metre filter was seen as a step backward from previous rulings that respected the range's ecological integrity.
Looking Ahead: The Mandate of the New Expert Committee
The newly constituted expert committee now has the critical task of devising a scientifically and ecologically sound method to map the Aravallis. Its mandate includes directly addressing the concerns raised by the FSI. Environmental advocates hope the committee will return to the core principle upheld in earlier SC judgments: that the hills, ridges, plateaus, and forests of the Aravallis function as a single, interconnected ecosystem.
This principle is not new. In 2010, the Supreme Court had rejected a similar 100-metre threshold proposed by the then Congress government in Rajasthan. Again in 2018, a two-judge bench recognized that even small hills in the Aravallis act as a vital anti-pollution shield for the entire Indo-Gangetic plains.
The timing of this intervention is crucial. With a vast swathe of North India, including the National Capital Region, repeatedly blanketed in toxic smog, the protective role of the Aravallis as a natural barrier against desert winds and as a carbon sink cannot be overstated. The Supreme Court's latest order is a reaffirmation of its role in holding the line against attempts to diminish the ecological and historical value of this nearly two-billion-year-old mountain system.
