SC Stays Aravalli '100-Metre' Definition; New Expert Panel to Examine Mining Impact

• Supreme Court stayed its November 20 order accepting the Environment Ministry's Aravalli definition.
• The previous definition (100m height, 500m range) would have opened much of Aravalli to regulated mining.
• A new expert committee will be formed to re-examine the definition and its implications.
• SC issued notices to the Centre and four Aravalli states: Rajasthan, Gujarat, Delhi, and Haryana.
• The court also posed five critical questions on the definition's impact on conservation and mining.

Why It Matters: SC halts Aravalli mining risk, forms expert panel to redefine hills, ensuring ecological protection.