environment

Aravalli Panel Opens 21-Day Feedback Window Amid Neutrality Concerns

Published on: 21 Jul 2026, 10:15 AM

The Supreme Court-constituted Aravalli Committee has opened a 21-day window for public feedback, inviting representations, suggestions, and inputs from stakeholders on issues related to the Aravalli hill range. The high-powered committee, formed on May 25, is tasked with an independent review of the Centre's report on the definition and delineation of the Aravalli hill range.

According to a press note from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change issued on Tuesday (July 21, 2026), the committee has called for submissions from the National Capital Territory states and various stakeholders, including environmentalists, mining lease holders, and local communities whose livelihoods and wellbeing are linked to the region's biodiversity. Submissions should be supported by documentary evidence or verifiable material and sent via email or an official Google form within 21 days of the notice.

The development comes amid concerns about the committee's neutrality, as it mainly comprises former government officers. Critics argue that the committee's head reports directly to the Environment Ministry's Secretary and Minister, which they say does not satisfy the criteria of impartiality or independence stated in the Supreme Court's suo motu order issued in December 2025.

The committee is headed by Kanchan Devi, Director General of the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE). Members include Subhash Ashutosh, former Director General of the Forest Survey of India; Rajendra Kumar Sharma, former Director of the Geological Survey of India; Brij Mohan Singh Rathore, former Joint Secretary in the Environment Ministry; and Professor Ashok K. Bhatnagar, former Head of the Department of Botany at Delhi University. The court also appointed Professor Jagdish Krishnaswamy of the Indian Institute for Human Settlements, Bengaluru, and Professor Laxmikant Sharma of the Central University of Haryana as special invitees who may be associated with the committee's work as required by the chairperson. The Environment Ministry was directed to nominate an officer of the rank of Director to serve as the committee's Member Secretary.

The committee is required to submit its report by August 31. The 21-day feedback window is intended to allow public participation in the review process, though the committee's composition has raised questions about its independence from the executive.

Source: The Hindu

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