Gurugram: Members of ‘Aravalli Bachao Sanstha’ stage a demonstration as part of the Save Aravalli movement, near the residence of Haryana minister Rao Narbir Singh, in Gurugram. (PTI Photo)

NEW DELHI: A day after clarifying how only 0.19% of the total 1.44 lakh sq km area of Aravalli can be eligible for mining, Union environment minister Bhupender Yadav on Monday said no new mining lease can be granted in the Aravalli hills and ranges till the finalisation of the management plan for sustainable mining (MPSM) for the entire landscape, and all existing mines must comply strictly with central committee’s stringent safeguard.Calling protests in certain quarters against the latest move a misinformed campaign based on wrong interpretation of facts, Yadav emphasised that the definition adopted by the Supreme Court does not relax any restrictions. He also accused the Congress party of spreading “lies”.The apex court had last month considered the recommendations of a central committee regarding a uniform policy level definition of the Aravalli hills and ranges, specifically in the context of regulating mining, and accepted that all the landforms enclosed within the lowest binding contour, encircling hills of height of 100 metres or more irrespective of their height and slopes, are excluded for the purpose of grant of mining lease.Asked about the rationale behind adopting the 100 metres height threshold by the central committee, headed by Union environment secretary, Yadav said the panel used the globally accepted scientific standards (Richard Murphy’s Landform Classification of 1968) that identify landforms rising 100 metres above the local relief as hills and prohibit mining on both the hill and its supporting slopes.Cultivation/agriculture is the dominant land-use category, across the Aravalli landscape districts, accounting for approximately 55% of the combined geographical area of the 37 districts falling within the Aravalli hills and ranges.A large area of Aravalli has already been covered under habitations over a period of time. Part of many cities, including Udaipur, Ajmer, Alwar, South Delhi, Gurugram, Banaskantha fall within the boundaries of Aravalli.Besides accepting the definition of the Aravalli hills and ranges, the apex court in its Nov 20 order also directed the environment ministry to prepare MPSM through the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE) for the entire Aravallis on the lines of such plan for the Saranda forests in Jharkhand.Yadav said there is no basis for arriving at the conclusion that 90% of the Aravalli has been opened up for mining when the MPSM is yet to be prepared as per the SC’s directions. “The Congress, which allowed rampant illegal mining in Rajasthan during its tenure, is spreading confusion, misinformation and lies about the issue,” he alleged.“The definition adopted by the Court does not relax any existing restrictions. Instead, it provides additional safeguards through standardised and technically validated basis for regulation, supported by enhanced oversight and scientific planning,” said the minister.At present, 277 sq km out of a total of nearly 1.44 lakh sq km of areas in Aravalli are under mining lease. It includes the highest 247 sq km in Rajasthan’s 20 districts, 27 sq km in Gujarat’s five districts and 3 sq km in Haryana’s seven districts. No mining activity is permitted in Delhi whose five districts fall in the Aravalli range.

NEW DELHI: Who will resolve the ongoing power tussle in Karnataka between chief minister Siddaramaiah and his deputy DK Shivakumar – top Congress leadership in Delhi or the leaders themselves at the local level?On Sunday, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge shielded the “high command” from this embarrassing power game in Karnataka and said that “any confusion on the leadership issue existed at the local level.” Kharge also added that the local leaders should take ownership of the internal disputes rather than blaming the high command.The remark is not only interesting, given the strong and established high command culture in the grand-old party, but is also open to many interpretations.Did Kharge endorse Siddaramaiah’s claim to continue as chief minister for a full five-year term? After all, he is the chief minister at present and if there is no confusion at the central level on the leadership issue, it perhaps could mean that Siddaramaiah has the support of the high command.The talk about an alleged deal on rotational chief ministership and the demand for DK Shivakumar to take over the top post after two-and-a-half years has been raised by the supporters of the deputy chief minister at the local level. So, by calling the leadership tussle a local issue, is Kharge citing these claims in favour of DKS made by some MLAs and local Congress leaders?Kharge had, in his remarks, also cautioned party leaders against claiming credit for Congress’s electoral success in the last assembly elections. “Everyone has built the party. It’s not any individual’s effort. Congress has been built by party workers. Congress workers supported us,” Kharge said without naming anyone.This again points more towards the supporters of DK Shivakumar, who have openly claimed that the deputy chief minister, who is also the state Congress president, had played a key role in the party’s spectacular victory in the 2023 assembly elections. The Congress had in 2023 won a comprehensive majority, bagging 135 assembly seats out of 224 with a vote share of 43.2%. The BJP was decimated and reduced to just 66 seats with a vote share of 36.3%.However, the leadership tussle has overshadowed this victory from Day 1. The Congress leadership then had to make a lot of effort and persuasion to convince DK Shivakumar to allow Siddaramaiah to lead the government. There were then reports of an alleged power-sharing arrangement between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar. As the Congress government crossed the halfway mark of its five-year term on November 20, speculations intensified about a leadership change. MLAs of both factions have petitioned the high command in support of their leaders.Taking a cue from Kharge’s remark, Karnataka home minister G Parameshwara on Monday said any differences or confusions within the party over the leadership issue in the state have to be resolved locally.“Everyone of us should know, we should resolve ourselves. If the All India Congress president says that you (state leaders) resolve yourself and have nothing to do with the high command, we all have to sit together and resolve,” Parameshwara said.Chief minister Siddaramaiah, however, reiterated his stand that Congress top leader Rahul Gandhi and the party high command will have to take a decision on the CM change issue, and everyone will abide by their decision.“I don’t know about it. Rahul Gandhi and the high command have to decide. Whatever they decide, I’m committed to it,” Siddaramaiah told reporters here in response to a question on Kharge’s statement.“I have spoken to the high command. They have said that they will decide. I will abide by whatever the high command decides,” he said.Siddaramaiah had on Friday asserted on the floor of the assembly that he would continue in office. He had also said that the Congress high command was “in my favour” and asserted that no decision was made on his staying at the helm for only two-and-a-half years.Reacting to his remarks, Shivakumar had said that he and CM Siddaramaiah have come to an agreement with the involvement of the Congress high command, and both of them will abide by it.This is not the first time that DKS has spoken about the power-sharing agreement. In fact, when the tussle had started, he had made a cryptic social media post stating that “word power is world power.”“Keeping one’s word is the greatest strength in the world! The biggest force in the world was to keep one’s word… Be it a judge, president, or anyone else, including myself, everyone has to walk the talk. Word power is world power,” DKS had then written.Siddramaraiah had then responded sharply to this and had countered DKS with his own play of words. “A Word is not power unless it betters the World for the people,” Siddaramaiah wrote and detailed the various welfare schemes that his government had launched for people of Karnataka.This power tussle has already caused a lot of embarrassment for the Congress leadership and also raised questions about its ability to resolve disputes between state leaders. Kharge’s remarks have done little to bring clarity on the way forward. It will be interesting to see how DKS responds to his statement, especially on not giving him credit for the party’s victory in the 2023 elections.

NEW DELHI: United States on Monday welcomed India’s newly passed SHANTI bill, calling it an important step towards stronger energy ties and peaceful civil nuclear cooperation between the two countries.In a post on X, the US embassy in India said it saw the Act as a move that supports energy security and opened the door for closer collaboration.

“We welcome India’s new Shanti bill, a step towards a stronger energy security partnership and peaceful civil nuclear cooperation,” the embassy said. It added that Washington was ready to work with India on joint innovation and research and development in the energy sector.The statement came a day after president signed the Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India Bill, or SHANTI Bill, 2025, marking a major change in India’s civil nuclear framework.The bill was passed by voice vote during the winter session of parliament, even as most opposition members staged a walkout.

India–US civil nuclear cooperation

India and the United States announced a civil nuclear cooperation initiative nearly two decades ago, leading to the landmark India–US nuclear deal. The agreement ended India’s long period of nuclear isolation and allowed it to resume civil nuclear cooperation, even as it remained outside the nuclear non-proliferation treaty.The deal marked a major shift in US policy and significantly changed the trajectory of bilateral relations. Despite the agreement, progress was slow for years due to legal and regulatory hurdles. A breakthrough happened this year in March when the US department of energy granted regulatory clearance to an American company to design and build nuclear reactors in India.

What is SHANTI Act

The SHANTI Act overhauls India’s civil nuclear regime, which has largely remained unchanged since the Atomic Energy Act of 1962. A key feature of the Act is the opening up of parts of the civil nuclear sector to private participation for the first time. The Act also gives statutory status to the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board. In addition, it introduces a clear licensing regime and sets up a specialised nuclear tribunal to handle disputes.Another major change under the SHANTI Act relates to civil nuclear liability. The legislation removes the clause that held suppliers of nuclear equipment liable for nuclear damage.

Bangladesh high commission; Humayun Kabir

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