In News:

The Supreme Court-appointed Kanchan Devi Committee has come under scrutiny after environmental experts and former officials sought its restructuring, citing concerns over its composition and its ability to independently review the protection framework for the Aravalli Range.

What is the Kanchan Devi Committee?

The Kanchan Devi Committee is an expert committee constituted by the Supreme Court on 25 May 2026 to review its earlier judgment concerning the protection and classification of the Aravalli Range. The committee has been tasked with examining the existing legal and administrative framework governing the Aravallis and recommending measures for effective environmental conservation, forest demarcation, and sustainable land-use management.

Objectives

The committee aims to:

• Review the existing framework for Aravalli conservation.
• Recommend measures for forest identification and demarcation.
• Suggest strategies for sustainable land-use planning.
• Balance environmental protection with developmental requirements.

Concerns Raised

Environmental experts and former officials have questioned the present composition of the committee.

Major concerns include:

• Absence of independent experts in ecology, hydrology, wildlife conservation, GIS, and public health.
• Potential conflict of interest, as the committee largely functions within the same administrative framework that earlier determined Aravalli boundaries.
• Overrepresentation of bureaucrats, with limited participation from multidisciplinary scientific experts.
• Insufficient representation of experts familiar with mining and ecological challenges in Haryana and Rajasthan.
• Concern that any reassessment of Aravalli protection should be undertaken only after completing forest identification under the Godavarman framework.

Significance

The committee's recommendations will have significant implications for the future management of the Aravalli Range, one of the world's oldest fold mountain systems. Its findings could shape policies relating to forest conservation, groundwater recharge, biodiversity protection, desertification control, and regulation of mining, quarrying, and urban expansion.

The debate surrounding the committee also highlights the importance of scientific expertise, transparency, and institutional independence in environmental governance and judicially supervised conservation efforts.