The Congress on Monday (December 29, 2025) welcomed the Supreme Court's decision to stay its November 20 order on the new definition of the Aravalli range, and demanded the resignation of Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav, saying all his arguments in favour of the redefinition have been rejected.
The apex court kept in abeyance the directions in its November 20 verdict that had accepted a uniform definition of the Aravalli hills and ranges recommended by a committee of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. It also proposed to constitute a high-powered committee comprising domain experts to undertake an exhaustive and holistic examination of the issue.
The committee had recommended that Aravalli Hill be defined as any landform in designated Aravalli districts with an elevation of 100 metres or more above its local relief, and the Aravalli Range will be a collection of two or more such hills within 500 metres of each other.
The Congress had strongly opposed the redefinition and raised concerns over it, claiming that this would lead to destroying the hills by opening them to mining, real estate and other projects.
In a post on X, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said the directive gives a "flicker of hope".
