After Aravalli Verdict, Congress Urges Supreme Court to Intervene on NGT Powers, Says Jairam Ramesh

New Delhi: Following the Supreme Court’s reversal of its November 20, 2025, verdict on the Aravalli Hills, the Congress party on Tuesday called for the apex court to also intervene regarding the powers of the National Green Tribunal (NGT). Party General Secretary Jairam Ramesh argued that the NGT’s authority has been significantly weakened over the past decade. He urged the Supreme Court to ensure that the body functions independently, free from fear or bias, and in strict accordance with the law.

Ramesh, in a post on social media platform ‘X’, said: “Yesterday, the Supreme Court took suo motu notice and reversed its own November 20, 2025, order concerning the definition of the Aravalli region. While the Modi government had enthusiastically implemented that order, the Supreme Court’s move to rescind it was both necessary and welcome.”

He added that there are now three other urgent environmental issues on which the Supreme Court should similarly take suo motu cognizance. Ramesh cited the case of Sariska Tiger Reserve, where the apex court on August 6, 2025, had put a hold on proposals by the Rajasthan and central governments to redraw boundaries, which would have allowed reopening of 57 closed mines. “This proposal should be outrightly rejected,” he said.

Ramesh further criticized the Supreme Court for reviewing its May 16, 2025, order on ex-post facto environmental clearances on November 18, 2025. He said such approvals violate fundamental principles of jurisprudence, mock governance, and should never have been permitted. According to him, laws, rules, and provisions are often deliberately bypassed with the expectation that once a project is underway, regulatory processes can be manipulated.