India, Dec. 24 -- The Centre on Wednesday ordered a complete ban on the grant of new mining leases across the Aravalli range, stepping in amid controversy over recently notified rules redefining the Aravalli hills and just days after the Supreme Court froze fresh mining approvals.

In a statement, the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) said it has issued directions to all concerned states to impose an immediate prohibition on new mining leases in the Aravallis, describing the move as a major step towards conservation of one of India's oldest mountain systems.

The government said the directions are intended to curb illegal and unregulated mining and safeguard the Aravallis as a continuous ridge acting as a ...