India, June 4 -- Defining what constitutes the Aravalli ranges has become central to protecting one of North India's longest ecological barriers - a groundwater recharge zone, a desert shield, a biodiversity corridor. When the Supreme Court stayed its own Aravalli definition order in December - five weeks after accepting it - it was a tacit acknowledgment that a consequential decision had been reached through a flawed process and needed course correction. The definition's 100-metre elevation threshold drew concerns: The court's amicus curiae warned it could fragment the range, and the Central Empowered Committee had flagged objections before the order was passed. The definition, proposed by a committee chaired by the Union environment sec...