EnvironmentFriday, 5 June 2026·The Hindu - Environment
Supreme Court sets up expert panel to re-examine Aravalli definition and protection limits
The Supreme Court formed a high-powered committee under ICFRE DG Kanchan Devi to review the Aravalli definition and submit a report by August 31, 2026.
Key highlights
Direct fact
In June 2026, the Supreme Court constituted a high-powered committee headed by Kanchan Devi, Director General of the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE), to independently review the Centre’s report on the Aravalli hill range and submit a comprehensive report by August 31, 2026.
Key specifics
- The committee was formed after the Court stayed an October 2025 report on December 29.
- Kanchan Devi is a 1991-batch Indian Forest Service officer and the ex-officio chairperson of the panel.
- The panel includes former officials such as Dr. Subhash Ashutosh, Dr. Rajendra Kumar Sharma, and Brij Mohan Singh Rathore.
- The Court asked whether the 500-metre threshold between two or more hills could narrow protected Aravalli territory.
- One issue is the claim that only 1,048 of Rajasthan’s 12,081 hills meet the 100-metre elevation criterion.
Exam lens
TNPSC environment and judiciary questions may ask about the Aravalli panel, ICFRE, the August 31, 2026 deadline, the 500-metre rule, and the 1,048/12,081 hill figures. A likely one-liner is: which apex court order sought a fresh scientific assessment of the Aravalli ecosystem?