Supreme Court pauses own ruling on Aravalli

IN ABEYANCE | Bench said there was a need to examine whether the restrictive demarcation approved last month had, in effect, broadened the scope of areas where mining could be permitted

- FPJ News Service

The Supreme Court on Monday stayed its recent judgment on the Aravalli Hills, saying that clarifications were necessary on the definitions approved last month and that a fresh, independent expert assessment was required before the directions could be implemented.

A Bench of Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, Justice JK Maheshwari and Justice AG Masih ordered that the recommendations of the earlier committee and the Court's own findings on the issue "shall remain in abeyance" until further orders. The matter will be taken up again on January 21, 2026, Bar & Bench and Live Law report.

The order was passed in a suo motu case initiated by the Court following widespread protests and concerns that the revised definition of the Aravalli Hills could pose a threat to the ecologically sensitive mountain range by opening up large areas to mining.

"We direct that recommendations of the committee and findings of the Supreme Court shall remain in abeyance till then," the Bench said.