Mon Dec 29 06:09:02 UTC 2025: Okay, here’s a summary and a news article based on the provided text:
Summary:
The Supreme Court of India has taken suo motu cognisance of the controversy surrounding the redefinition of the Aravalli hills, and is scheduled to hear the matter on Monday, December 29, 2025. The Congress party has voiced strong opposition to the redefinition, claiming it will open the area to destructive mining and real estate development, going against the recommendations of the Forest Survey of India. Previously, the Supreme Court had approved a uniform definition of the Aravalli hills and ranges based on recommendations from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) and banned new mining leases in the area pending expert reports. The committee recommended defining an Aravalli Hill as any landform in designated Aravalli districts with an elevation of 100 metres or more above its local relief, and an Aravalli Range as a collection of two or more such hills within 500 metres of each other.
News Article:
Supreme Court to Hear Aravalli Hills Redefinition Case Amid Controversy
New Delhi – December 29, 2025 – The Supreme Court has announced it will hear a case regarding the contentious redefinition of the Aravalli hills. The decision comes amid growing concerns that the new definition, approved by the court on November 20th, will lead to environmental devastation.
The Congress party has emerged as a vocal critic of the redefinition, alleging that it paves the way for unchecked mining and real estate development within the fragile Aravalli ecosystem. Jairam Ramesh, Congress general secretary and former Environment Minister, stated on X (formerly Twitter) that the actions of the government in New Delhi and Jaipur are being taken “against the recommendations of the Forest Survey of India.” He warned that the revised definition will further damage the already stressed ecosystem of the Aravallis.
The Supreme Court previously accepted a uniform definition of the Aravalli hills and ranges based on recommendations from a committee within the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC). This definition designates an Aravalli Hill as any landform in designated Aravalli districts with an elevation of 100 metres or more above its local relief, and an Aravalli Range as a collection of two or more such hills within 500 metres of each other. Along with the decision, the court issued a ban on new mining leases within the Aravalli areas of Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Gujarat, pending the release of expert reports.
The upcoming hearing is expected to address the concerns raised by the Congress party and other environmental advocates, examining whether the new definition adequately protects the Aravalli hills, one of the world’s oldest mountain systems, from exploitation.
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