“The Aravalli Saga: Supreme Court’s U-Turns and India’s Regulatory Crisis”, Swarajya, January 29, 2026
“On 21 January 2026, the Supreme Court doubled down. It continued its stay on a landmark Aravalli judgment and ordered yet another court-supervised expert committee, comprehensive notes, and a four-week adjournment.
The Court had spent years trying to define what constitutes an Aravalli hill. On 20 November 2025, it had finally accepted an elevation-based threshold proposed by an expert committee, meant to bring clarity to mining regulations across Rajasthan, Haryana, Gujarat and Delhi.
The definition lasted 39 days.
On 29 December 2025, following protests by environmental groups alleging the ruling would dilute protections, a Division Bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant took suo motu cognizance of “public apprehensions and misinterpretations” and placed the entire judgment in abeyance……”
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