✅ Answer: B) Tropical Deciduous ForestTropical Deciduous Forests are the most common type in India, covering about 40% of India’s forest area. They are also called monsoon forests because they shed leaves in the dry season. They receive 70-200 cm of rainfall. Key trees: Teak (Tectona grandis) and Sal (Shorea robusta). Teak is found in MP, Maharashtra, Karnataka; Sal in Jharkhand, Odisha, WB, UP. These forests are commercially most important.

✅ Answer: C) 21.71%India’s forest cover is 21.71% (7,13,789 sq km) as per the India State of Forest Report (ISFR) 2021, published by the Forest Survey of India (FSI). The National Forest Policy 1988 targets 33% forest cover. Madhya Pradesh has the largest forest area; Mizoram has the highest percentage (84.53%). ISFR is published every 2 years. India’s forest cover has been slowly increasing in recent years.

✅ Answer: A) 1950 by K.M. MunshiVan Mahotsav (Forest Festival) was started in 1950 by K.M. Munshi, who was the Union Agriculture Minister at the time. It is celebrated every year in July. The festival involves mass tree-planting drives across India. It aims to increase forest cover and create environmental awareness. Millions of trees are planted during Van Mahotsav every year. It is one of India’s oldest environmental conservation initiatives.

✅ Answer: A) Restrict diversion of forest land for non-forest purposesThe Forest Conservation Act (FCA) 1980 was enacted to restrict the diversion of forest land for non-forest purposes (mining, agriculture, infrastructure). Any diversion requires prior approval from the Central Government. The Indian Forest Act 1927 classifies forests as Reserved, Protected, and Village forests. The Forest Rights Act 2006 recognises tribal rights. The FCA 1980 was amended in 2023 (Van Sanrakshan Evam Samvardhan Adhiniyam).

✅ Answer: A) West Bengal (Arabari experiment, 1972)Joint Forest Management (JFM) was first initiated in West Bengal through the Arabari experiment in 1972. Local communities were involved in protecting degraded sal forests in exchange for a share of forest produce. The experiment was highly successful — the forest regenerated significantly. The national JFM resolution was issued in 1990. Today, over 1 lakh Forest Protection Committees (FPCs) cover 22 million hectares across India.

✅ Answer: B) Mizoram (84.53%)Mizoram has the highest percentage of forest cover in India at 84.53% (ISFR 2021). Arunachal Pradesh is 2nd; Meghalaya is 3rd. Madhya Pradesh has the largest forest area (77,482 sq km). Haryana has the lowest forest cover percentage among states. The northeastern states generally have high forest cover percentages. India’s overall forest cover is 21.71%, well below the 33% target of the National Forest Policy 1988.

✅ Answer: A) Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (plus conservation, sustainable management, enhancement)REDD+ is a UN mechanism that provides financial incentives to developing countries to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation, and to conserve, sustainably manage, and enhance forest carbon stocks. The “+” refers to conservation, sustainable management, and enhancement of forest carbon stocks. India has been participating in REDD+ activities. Forests are crucial carbon sinks — deforestation releases stored CO₂.

✅ Answer: A) Recognise and vest forest rights in forest-dwelling Scheduled Tribes and other traditional forest dwellersThe Forest Rights Act (FRA) 2006 recognises and vests forest rights in forest-dwelling Scheduled Tribes (STs) and other traditional forest dwellers (OTFDs) who have been living in forests for generations. Rights include: individual rights (cultivation, habitation), community rights (grazing, fishing, collection), and community forest resource rights. The Act corrects historical injustice done to tribal communities. Gram Sabhas play a key role in implementing the Act.

✅ Answer: A) Northeast IndiaShifting cultivation (Jhum) is mainly practiced in Northeast India (Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Mizoram, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh). It involves clearing forest by burning, cultivating for 2-3 years, then moving to a new area. It causes deforestation and soil erosion. It is also called slash-and-burn agriculture. The government is promoting settled agriculture and agroforestry as alternatives. Jhum is also practiced in parts of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh.

✅ Answer: A) Protection of trees from felling in UttarakhandThe Chipko Movement (1973) was a non-violent protest in Uttarakhand (then UP) where villagers, especially women, hugged trees to prevent them from being felled by contractors. “Chipko” means “to hug” in Hindi. It was led by Sunderlal Bahuguna and Chandi Prasad Bhatt. The movement inspired forest conservation movements worldwide. It led to a ban on commercial felling in the Himalayas. Gaura Devi is credited with starting the movement in Reni village.