SC Takes Suo Motu Note of Aravalli Definition Change Amid Environmental Fears

• Supreme Court took suo motu notice of the Aravalli definition change due to fears of unregulated mining and environmental degradation.
• A vacation Bench, including CJI Surya Kant, Justice J K Maheshwari, and Justice A G Masih, will hear the matter on December 29.
• The SC's intervention follows protests after it accepted a new definition on Nov 20, classifying Aravalli hills as landforms 100m+ above local relief.
• Critics, including Dushyant Dave, argue the narrower definition weakens ecological safeguards and exposes vast tracts to commercial exploitation.
• Environmentalists warn the revised criteria could leave large parts of the Aravalli range unprotected, impacting groundwater and climate.

Why It Matters: SC intervenes in Aravalli definition change, fearing environmental damage and unregulated exploitation.