RAS question
The total forest cover of Rajasthan is approximately:
Correct answer: (D) 4.9% of total area.
Rajasthan's total forest cover is approximately 4.9% of its total geographical area.
Explanation
Rajasthan's forest cover is low as a share of its geographical area, so the closest option is 4.9%. The official India State of Forest Report 2021 chapter on Rajasthan reports total forest cover of 16,654.96 sq km, which is 4.87% of the state's geographical area; this rounds to about 4.9%. The older explanation's 16,629.51 sq km and 4.86% figure also points to the same conclusion. The key distinction is between actual forest cover and recorded forest area: the larger 9.57% figure refers to recorded forest area, not satellite-assessed forest cover. Rajasthan's arid and desert terrain helps explain why its forest-cover percentage remains among the lower state shares.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) 22% is far above the officially reported forest-cover share, which is about 4.9% of Rajasthan's geographical area.
- (B) 9.57% refers to recorded forest area, not the actual forest cover measured for Rajasthan.
- (C) 16% overstates Rajasthan's forest cover by more than three times the reported share of about 4.9%.
Concept
This tests the difference between forest cover and recorded forest area in Rajasthan geography. RAS repeats this because candidates often confuse administrative forest area with satellite-assessed forest cover.