Amid the Supreme Court's recent Aravalli Hills definition allowing 'strategic exemptions' for mining critical minerals, Integrated Defence Staff chief Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit warned of vulnerabilities from import reliance. Environmentalists decry weakening protections in the ecologically vital range.
Building on the Supreme Court's November 20 order defining Aravalli Hills as landforms rising 100 meters above local relief—freezing new mining leases except for notified critical, strategic, and atomic minerals—debate has escalated.
On December 23, Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit emphasized that modern defence systems require reliable domestic access to critical minerals, linking self-sufficiency to secure supply chains. He cited the National Critical Mineral Mission as key policy support.
Critics, including environmental groups and opposition parties, label these 'strategic exemptions' a loophole that could exclude vast areas from safeguards, exacerbating illegal mining, urbanization, and water stress. The Aravalli range is crucial for groundwater recharge, desertification prevention, and Delhi-NCR air quality.
Recent policy shifts amplify concerns: Environment Ministry clearances softened since 2014; a May 2025 Supreme Court ruling against ex post facto approvals recalled in November; September 2025 office memorandum exempting critical mineral projects from public consultations; and the 2023 Forest (Conservation) Amendment Act broadening exemptions.
Recommendations include binding arbitration for strategic claims, cumulative landscape impact assessments, and transparency on alternatives like imports or recycling.
