Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Friday said he has moved the Supreme Court against ex post facto environmental clearances, calling them illegal and harmful to public health, days after the court agreed to review its 29 December ruling on the redefinition of the Aravallis. In a post on X, Ramesh said, "Excited by the Supreme Court's review of its earlier decision dated 29 December 2025 regarding the redefinition of the Aravallis, I have now filed a petition in the Supreme Court challenging ex post facto (retrospective) environmental clearances." The Supreme Court on 21 January said that it will constitute an expert committee comprising domain experts to undertake an “exhaustive and holistic” examination of mining and related issues in the Aravallis. The top court on 20 November had accepted a uniform definition of the Aravalli hills and ranges and banned grant of fresh mining leases inside its areas spanning Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan and Gujarat until experts’ reports are out. The committee recommended that “Aravalli Hill” will be defined as any landform in designated Aravalli districts with an elevation of 100 metres or more above its local relief and an “Aravalli Range” will be a collection of two or more such hills within 500 metres of each other.

Source: The Telegraph January 23, 2026 12:06 UTC