CJI Surya Kant Rejects Extension Request for Aravalli Definition Report

Chief Justice of India Surya Kant has rejected a request from a high powered committee for a six month extension to submit its report on a uniform definition of the Aravalli hills and range. The committee, led by Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education director general Kanchan Devi, had sought a deadline of February 28, 2027. The court instead directed the panel to work day and night to submit the final report by November 30, 2026, stating that no further extensions would be granted. During the proceedings, CJI Kant questioned if the committee was waiting for his retirement, which is scheduled for February 9, 2027, and noted that the court would not allow such a delay. The bench also ordered the committee to provide interim reports on urgent issues so they could be addressed without waiting for the final exercise. The high powered committee was formed in May after the Supreme Court put a previous November 2025 decision on hold. That earlier decision had accepted a definition based on elevation that environmentalists argued would leave fragile areas vulnerable to mining. The current committee is tasked with a broader scientific examination of the landscape, including biodiversity and groundwater systems, to recommend a uniform definition.