Amid a controversy over the definition of the Aravalli hills approved by it, the Supreme Court of India has taken suo motu cognisance of the matter and is set to hear the case on Monday.

According to the cause list, a three-judge vacation bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, along with Justices J K Maheshwari and Augustine George Masih, is likely to take up the issue.

The case has been registered as In Re: Definition of Aravalli Hills and Ranges and Ancillary Issues.

5 Key facts of the case

1. On November 20, the Supreme Court of India accepted a uniform, scientific definition of the Aravalli hills and ranges and imposed a ban on fresh mining leases across Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan and Gujarat until expert reports are finalised.

2. The court approved the recommendations of a committee constituted by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, aimed at protecting the Aravallis, regarded as the world’s oldest mountain system.

3. As per the committee’s definition, an “Aravalli Hill” is any landform in designated Aravalli districts rising at least 100 metres above local relief, while an “Aravalli Range” consists of two or more such hills located within 500 metres of each other, including the landforms and features between them.

4. In a 29-page judgment delivered in a suo motu matter linked to the long-running TN Goda Varman Thirumulpad environmental litigation, the court accepted a ban on mining in core or inviolate areas, while allowing limited exceptions as outlined by the committee.

5. The bench directed that no new mining leases be granted until the Management Plan for Sustainable Mining is finalized by the MoEF&CC through the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education, allowing existing mines to operate only in strict compliance, and underscored the Aravalli’s’ role as a “green barrier” against desertification and biodiversity loss.