RAS question
The National Mission for a Green India aims to increase forest cover by how many million hectares?
Correct answer: (B) 5 million hectares.
The National Mission for a Green India aims to expand forest and tree cover by 5 million hectares.
Explanation
The Green India Mission, also called the National Mission for a Green India, is one of the eight missions under the National Action Plan on Climate Change. Its target is two-part: expand forest/tree cover by 5 million hectares and improve the quality of another 5 million hectares of forest and non-forest land. That is why option B is the exact answer. The mission is framed around protecting, restoring and enhancing India’s forest cover while addressing climate change, so the figure is not a generic plantation number; it is the stated area target for additional forest and tree cover under GIM.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) 10 million hectares confuses the total area touched by the mission with the separate target to add 5 million hectares and improve another 5 million hectares.
- (C) 20 million hectares is far above the stated GIM target and is not supported by the mission goal in the cited PIB document.
- (D) 1 million hectares understates the official expansion target, which is 5 million hectares for additional forest/tree cover.
Concept
This tests climate-change missions under the National Action Plan on Climate Change, a recurring RAS environment theme. GIM targets are often asked because they combine forest cover, ecosystem restoration and climate policy in one fact.