Rural voices excluded from Supreme Court panel's Aravalli hearings, say rights groups demand change

Prelims-testable facts

• 01The Supreme Court has appointed a panel to review the Centre's report on the Aravalli hill range.
• 02The panel is seeking public inputs for its review through email and Google Forms, but activists have raised concerns that this process excludes rural communities.
• 03Rural communities, farmers, pastoralists, and experts on water resources are essential participants in any meaningful discussion on the Aravallis.
• 04The Supreme Court-appointed panel's online consultation has been criticized by environmentalists and grassroots leaders for excluding affected rural voices.
• 05The Aravalli hill range is an ecologically fragile mountain system spread across five states.
• 06Activists have called for an overhaul of the hearings process to ensure meaningful public participation in ecological assessments.

Trap alerts

• Most people think that online consultations are sufficient for public participation, but actually, rural communities and experts need direct involvement in decision-making processes.
• Many assume that Supreme Court-appointed panels automatically include diverse stakeholders, but this is not always the case, especially when it comes to marginalized groups.