The Supreme Court on Thursday directed the Central government to prepare a comprehensive Management Plan for Sustainable Mining (MPSM) for the entire Aravalli hill system, which spans Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat and the National Capital Region. The move follows long-standing concerns over ecological degradation and unregulated mining in the range. A Bench comprising Chief Justice of India B.R. Gavai, Justice K. Vinod Chandran and Justice N.V. Anjaria ordered that no new mining licences be granted in the Aravalli landscape until the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) finalises the plan. The direction was issued while hearing matters related to widespread mining activity and its environmental impact. While emphasising the need for strong regulation, the Court declined to impose a blanket ban on mining, noting that total prohibitions have historically encouraged illegal extraction, criminal syndicates and parallel markets. The judges stressed that environmental protection must be pursued through a realistic and enforceable framework. In May 2024, the Court had noted inconsistencies in how various states defined “Aravalli Hills” and “Aravalli Range”, making uniform enforcement nearly impossible. A high-powered committee was therefore appointed to create a standardised definition and propose protective measures. Its report, submitted in October 2025, recommended a scientifically determinable benchmark based on topography. The Court accepted the committee’s framework, which classifies any landform with a local relief of 100 metres or more as a hill, and defines the Aravalli Range as a cluster of two or more such hills within 500 metres of one another, measured from the lowest contour. The Bench said a uniform technical definition was essential for regulatory clarity and effective oversight. The Court also endorsed the committee’s recommendation that mining be prohibited in inviolate or core zones, except in exceptional cases involving essential, strategic or atomic minerals. However, it rejected a complete regional ban, noting that sustainable mining must be scientifically supervised rather than wholly restricted. Drawing parallels with the structured studies conducted by the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE) for the Saranda and Chaibasa mining belts in Jharkhand, the Bench ordered a similar ecological and geological evaluation for the Aravallis. The MoEFCC must prepare the MPSM in consultation with ICFRE, ensuring that future mining decisions reflect ecological capacity rather than administrative convenience. The plan must identify zones suitable for regulated mining, areas requiring absolute prohibition due to ecological sensitivity and regions in need of restoration after extraction. It must include assessments of cumulative environmental impact, hydrogeological capacity, biodiversity implications and long-term landscape stability. The Court also directed that the plan incorporate frameworks for post-mining land reclamation and ecological restitution, in line with the precautionary principle and established doctrines of sustainable development. Until the MPSM is officially notified, no new mining licences may be issued in the Aravalli region. Existing operations may continue but only in full compliance with the committee’s recommendations. Future authorisations must adhere to the MPSM and be granted only where sustainable operation is scientifically validated. The Bench underscored the ecological importance of the Aravalli system, which includes 22 wildlife sanctuaries, four tiger reserves, Keoladeo National Park, multiple critical wetlands and aquifers that feed major rivers such as the Chambal, Sabarmati, Luni, Mahi and Banas. If required for administrative convenience, the MoEFCC may prepare district-level management plans, provided they conform to a unified ecological framework for the whole Aravalli landscape.