Aravalli Mining & Ecology — PYQ Revision Sheet (2020–2025)

✅ UPSC Prelims 2024 — Direct Question (Mining Ban in Aravalli)

Theme: Supreme Court ban + illegal mining + environmental degradation

Key facts to remember

• SC banned new mining leases & renewals in parts of Aravalli

• Reason → forest loss + ecological imbalance

• Despite ban → illegal mining persists

• Governance concern → weak enforcement & nexus groups

👉 When asked whether both statements are true —
✔ Both were correct

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🟢 High-Probability Concepts UPSC Linked to Aravallis

🌿 Ecological Functions (asked multiple years indirectly)

Aravalli range:

• acts as barrier to desertification from Thar Desert

• moderates dust storms & heat in NCR

• supports scrub-forest biodiversity

• plays a role in groundwater recharge

• protects Delhi–Gurugram region micro-climate

👉 These points are commonly tested in:

• Environment (GS-3 angle)

• Geography + Ecology integration questions

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🟡 UPSC-Style Statements You Must Be Clear About

Statement	Status
Aravalli is one of the oldest fold mountains	✔ Correct
Acts as a desert barrier	✔ Correct
Groundwater recharge role	✔ Correct
Entire range legally open for mining	❌ Incorrect
Guru Shikhar is in Gujarat	❌ Incorrect (It is in Rajasthan)

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🟢 Regulatory Framework — Frequently Asked Dimensions

Likely UPSC statements:

• Supreme Court has issued directions on mining

• Mining allowed only under strict compliance in permitted areas

• ICFRE preparing Sustainable Mining Management Plan

• Plan will:

  • mark ecologically sensitive zones

  • identify conservation & restoration-priority areas

  • specify permissible mining areas

👉 No deadline fixed yet — administrative gap

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🟡 Important Definition (Committee Recommendation)

Uniform criteria for identifying Aravalli hills:

• hill ≥ 100 m above local relief

• land within 500 m of two adjoining ≥100 m hills
  → excluded from mining

A Forest Survey estimate found:

• only ~8% of ~12,000 hills exceed 100 m

• meaning very limited mine-permissible area

👉 This helps in elimination-based questions

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🔵 Themes UPSC Tested Indirectly (2020–2023)

• Illegal mining & environmental governance

• Ecologically Sensitive Zones (ESZ)

• Role of judiciary in environmental protection

• Desertification control in NW India

• National Capital Region dust & heat stress

• Sustainable mining vs ecological security debate

👉 These turn into assertion–reason or conceptual MCQs

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📝 Quick Recall — 10-Second Notes

• Oldest fold mountains

• Barrier to Thar desert expansion

• NCR climate & dust moderation

• Groundwater recharge belt

• SC restrictions on mining

• Illegal mining persists

• ICFRE → Sustainable Mining Plan

• 100 m local relief + 500 m buffer rule

• Restoration-priority zones

• Limited area legally mineable