By NE NOW NEWS
Guwahati: Scientists, environmentalists, policy experts, former bureaucrats and conservation organisations from across India have urged the Chief Justice of India (CJI) to modify the composition of a Supreme Court-appointed committee tasked with reviewing a landmark judgment aimed at protecting the Aravalli Range.
Over the past two days, at least ten representations have been submitted to the CJI, raising concerns over the committee’s composition and alleging that it lacks independent experts while including members with potential conflicts of interest. The signatories have called for the panel to be expanded and restructured to include specialists in environmental science, ecology, hydrology, public health, climate change and livelihood studies.
The committee was constituted following a Supreme Court directive to review an earlier judgment concerning the protection and identification of the Aravalli hills. Petitioners fear that the current review process could dilute existing environmental safeguards and open ecologically sensitive areas to greater developmental pressures.
At present, the panel functions under the Secretary of the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) and comprises retired officials, former bureaucrats and academic representatives. Critics argue that this raises questions about the committee’s independence, particularly because the ministry has previously been involved in decisions concerning the delineation of the Aravalli landscape.
The committee, constituted on May 25, 2026, is headed by Kanchan Devi, Director General of the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE). Other members include former senior officials from the Forest Survey of India, Geological Survey of India and MoEFCC, along with academics from Delhi University and the Central University of Haryana. Several researchers have also been included as special invitees.
Former Indian Forest Service (IFS) officer Prakruti Srivastava, in her letter to the Chief Justice, expressed concerns over the committee’s impartiality. She argued that the chairperson reports to the MoEFCC Secretary, creating a potential conflict of interest in reviewing recommendations linked to the same administrative framework.
Environmentalist Dr. Ravi Chopra, who has previously headed Supreme Court-appointed expert panels, also questioned the committee’s composition. He said the panel appears heavily dominated by serving and retired government officials and lacks the broader scientific expertise required to address the complex environmental and climate-related challenges facing the Aravalli region.
Conservation group Vanashakti, which has been involved in several environmental litigations, contended that the committee falls short of the standards expected of a high-powered expert body envisioned by the Supreme Court. The organisation highlighted the absence of key specialists, including wildlife experts, geospatial information system (GIS) professionals and independent environmental researchers.
Experts have further pointed to the lack of members with substantial field experience in Haryana and Rajasthan- two states where mining operations, urban expansion and real estate development have placed significant pressure on the Aravalli ecosystem. They also noted the absence of specialists in hydrology, micro-ecology and geotechnical sciences.
In addition to concerns over representation, signatories raised procedural issues, arguing that forest demarcation exercises mandated under the Supreme Court‘s Godavarman case framework remain incomplete. They maintained that these exercises should be completed before any reconsideration of protections governing the Aravalli Range.
The letters have been signed by environmentalists, geoscientists, academics and conservation advocates from across the country, who have collectively called for a more diverse, transparent and independent committee to ensure that the review process is guided by scientific evidence and environmental safeguards.