Overview
- The Environment Ministry told the Supreme Court it has no objection to the Central Empowered Committee’s proposed 10-member High Powered Expert Committee and offered no additional names.
- Kanchan Devi, director general of the Indian Council of Forestry Research & Education, is proposed to chair the committee.
- The proposed mix includes experts linked to the Forest Survey of India, Geological Survey of India and Survey of India alongside academicians, with suggested members such as Subhash Ashutosh, Rajendra Kumar Sharma, Tejal Kanitkar, Jaya Parkash Yadav, Tejbir Singh Rana, S V Singh, C N Pandey and Dharmendra Prakash.
- The CEC also suggested RN Mishra and conservation practitioner Vijay Dhasmana for consideration as part of the broader expert pool.
- The earlier court-approved definition using 100-metre elevation and 500-metre spacing remains on hold, and the ministry has supported a fresh, multidisciplinary review with stakeholder consultation built into the committee’s terms of reference.