Aravalli Mining Case: Supreme Court To Hear Centre Ban On New Leases On Monday

The Supreme Court is set to examine Aravalli Hills mining on December 29, 2025, even as the Union government orders a halt on fresh mining leases in the range from Delhi to Gujarat. The suo motu hearing, led by the Chief Justice, comes amid strong debate on illegal mining and shrinking green cover.

The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has told all concerned states to stop granting any new mining leases anywhere in the Aravalli landscape. Officials say the bar will apply across the full stretch of the ancient hill system, and is aimed at checking unregulated extraction activities and protecting the fragile geology.

Aravalli Hills mining case draws Supreme Court scrutiny and political heat

The Centre’s move has also triggered a political response, with Congress describing the ban on new leases as “damage control”. Environmental groups and local activists, meanwhile, see the Supreme Court’s intervention as a chance to revisit the November 20 verdict, and hope the court may now take a stricter view of Aravalli Hills mining.

Aravalli Hills mining hearing, past orders and key petition

A three-judge bench headed by the Chief Justice will handle the suo motu case. Former forest conservation officer R P Balwan has independently approached the apex court with a petition on the same issue. The ministry’s latest directions, issued on December 24, 2025, try to align state actions with central concerns over forest loss and environmental degradation.

Officials underline that the new restrictions target only future mining leases, not existing legal operations. For now, the focus shifts to the Supreme Court, which will weigh the Centre’s recent order, the November 20 judgment, and the issues raised by R P Balwan and environmental groups during the December 29, 2025 hearing.