NEW DELHI: Experts and former bureaucrats have raised concerns about the Supreme Court-appointed high-powered committee on the Aravalli Hills, arguing that the committee is neither truly "high-powered" nor “independent”.
The committee, headed by the Director General of the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE), includes a Member Secretary who is a junior official compared to the current Secretary of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC). This Secretary's committee report defined the Aravalli Hills as any landform that rises 100 meters or more above the local surrounding terrain, while excluding slopes and smaller hills from legal protection, thereby allowing mining in those areas. The Supreme Court based its order on this report, which has faced sharp criticism.
Additionally, the Secretary of the MoEFCC serves as the head of the Board of Governance for the ICFRE, potentially compromising the committee's independence.
"The general perception of the committee is that it is aligned with the government, which has previously issued reports that do not prioritize conservation," stated Prakruti Srivastava, a former IFS officer and Principal Chief Conservator of Forests in Kerala.
Experts have noted that some committee members possess expertise in mineral exploration and have a history of not implementing forest conservation orders. Moreover, the committee lacks a wildlife expert.
"One member is an expert in mineral and mining exploration, while another, a former DG of FSI, has a track record of failing to implement orders related to the geo-referencing of protected forests and the identification of migratory paths for wildlife," remarked Srivastava.
Another committee member has worked in Madhya Pradesh focusing on desertification and community issues, but there is no member with experience in the Aravalli states.
The Supreme Court of India constituted this five-member High-Powered Committee (HPC) on June 3, 2026, to independently evaluate the scientific definition and delineation of the Aravalli Hills and Ranges. The committee has been directed to provide a report by August 31, 2026.
The committee is led by Kanchan Devi, DG of ICFRE, with members including Dr. Subhash Ashutosh, former DG of the Forest Survey of India (FSI); Dr. Rajendra Kumar Sharma, former Director of the Geological Survey of India; Brij Mohan Singh Rathore, former Joint Secretary of the Environment Ministry; and Prof. Ashok K. Bhatnagar, former Head of Botany at Delhi University. The committee also includes special invitees Prof. Jagdish Krishnaswamy from the Indian Institute for Human Settlements and Prof. Laxmikant Sharma from the Central University of Haryana.
The panel was established following a Supreme Court order based on recommendations from the Secretary's committee, which had received significant criticism.
Environmental activist Lokesh Bhiwani suggested that the committee should be comparable to previous high-powered committees whose recommendations were timely and beneficial for the environment. He cited the example of the high-powered committee led by renowned scientist Ravi Chopra on the Char Dham Project in the Himalayas in 2019, as well as the committee headed by Prof. M.G.K. Menon for managing hazardous waste in 1997.