CAG audit flags critical deficiencies in Green India Mission execution

Environment and Ecology · 17 August 2026 · Based on The Hindu (original report)

2-minute summary

A performance audit by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has revealed critical deficiencies in the implementation of the National Mission for a Green India (GIM) across 16 States and Union Territories between 2015-16 and 2024-25. The audit highlighted a 91.87% shortfall in improving forest cover quality (0.11 million hectares achieved against a target of 1.4 million hectares) and a 97.57% shortfall in expanding forest cover (0.034 million hectares achieved against a 1.4 million hectare target). The CAG attributed these severe gaps to inadequate funding, weak inter-scheme convergence with programmes like CAMPA, MGNREGS, and Nagar Van Yojana, defective planning, and weak monitoring. The mission received only ₹1,149.14 crore (47.88%) of the approved initial outlay. These shortfalls raise concerns regarding India's ability to achieve its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) commitment under the Paris Agreement to create an additional carbon sink of 2.5 to 3 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent through additional forest and tree cover by 2030.

Why it's in the news

A CAG performance audit report tabled in August 2026 flagged massive implementation gaps and over 90% physical shortfalls in the Green India Mission (GIM) due to budgetary deficits and poor inter-agency convergence.

Background and context

The National Mission for a Green India (GIM) is one of the eight missions under the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC), conceptualized to respond to climate change through afforestation and eco-restoration. Formally launched in 2014 under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), the mission aims to increase forest and tree cover on 5 million hectares and improve the quality of forest cover on another 5 million hectares. GIM is a cornerstone of India's climate strategy and is closely tied to India's Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the UNFCCC Paris Agreement, where India committed to creating an additional carbon sink of 2.5 to 3 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent by 2030.

Constitutional provisions

Article 48A — Directive Principle directing the State to protect and improve the environment and safeguard forests and wildlife.
Article 51A(g) — Fundamental Duty of every citizen to protect and improve the natural environment including forests, lakes, rivers, and wildlife.
Article 149 to 151 — Duties, powers, and audit reports of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India on public expenditure.

Committees and reports

CAG Performance Audit on Green India Mission — Evaluated the planning, implementation, funding, and monitoring of GIM interventions across 16 States/UTs between 2015-16 and 2024-25.

Government schemes

National Mission for a Green India (GIM) — NAPCC mission focused on protecting, restoring, and enhancing India's forest cover and biodiversity.
Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) — Fund mechanism intended for convergence with GIM to finance afforestation and regeneration activities.
Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) — Provides rural labor for plantation, soil-moisture conservation, and natural resource management.

International organisations

United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) — The international treaty under which India submitted its NDCs, including forest-based carbon sink targets.

Previous UPSC questions on this theme

Prelims GS-1 2016 — Which of the following best describes/describe the aim of 'Green India Mission' of the Government of India? 1. Incorporating environmental benefits and costs into the Union and State Budgets thereby implementing the 'green accounting' 2. Launching the second green revolution to enhance agricultural output so as to ensure food security to one and all in the future 3. Restoring and enhancing forest cover and responding to climate change by a combination of adaptation and mitigation measures (a) 1 only (b) 2 and 3 only (c) 3 only (d) 1, 2 and 3
Mains GS-2 2016 — Exercise of CAG's powers in relation to the accounts of the Union and the States is derived from Article 149 of the Indian Constitution. Discuss whether audit of the Government's policy implementation could amount to overstepping its own (CAG) jurisdiction.

Mains practice: Critically analyze the structural and operational challenges hampering the execution of the Green India Mission (GIM) as highlighted by the CAG. How can these bottlenecks be addressed to meet India's climate commitments?

The National Mission for a Green India (GIM), one of the eight missions under the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC), aims to increase forest/tree cover by 5 million hectares and improve quality on another 5 million hectares. A recent CAG audit (2015-16 to 2024-25) revealed an alarming shortfall (>90%) in physical targets.

Key Challenges Flagged by the Audit:

• Severe Underfunding: GIM received only ₹1,149.14 crore (47.88%) of the approved budgetary outlay over ten years, failing to mobilize the envisaged ₹10,600 crore support.

• Lack of Inter-Scheme Convergence: Proposed synergies with CAMPA, MGNREGS, Nagar Van Yojana, and School Nursery Yojana operated in silos, hindering resource pooling.

• Weak Financial & Administrative Controls: Multiple States/UTs failed to maintain annual accounts or presented unaudited records with severe accounting discrepancies.

• Deficient Planning and Monitoring: Absence of robust ground-level monitoring led to poor survival rates of saplings and target non-compliance (e.g., 97.57% shortfall in expanding forest cover).

Way Forward:

• Dedicated Financial Allocation: Rationalize budgetary outlays and institutionalize seamless fund transfers from CAMPA to GIM activities.

• Integrated Convergence Framework: Create a unified monitoring portal linking MoEFCC and MoRD to synchronize MGNREGS labour with GIM plantation schedules.

• Technology-Driven Monitoring: Mandate GIS, geo-tagging, and high-resolution satellite imagery through the Forest Survey of India (FSI) for real-time verification of plantation survival.

• Decentralized Governance: Strengthen Joint Forest Management Committees (JFMCs) and Gram Sabhas to enhance community ownership and local livelihood generation.

Conclusion:

Revitalizing GIM through strict fiscal discipline, institutional convergence, and scientific forestry is vital for India to fulfill its NDC commitment of creating an additional 2.5–3 billion tonnes CO2 equivalent carbon sink by 2030.

Prelims practice questions

Q1. With reference to the National Mission for a Green India (GIM), consider the following statements: 1. It is one of the eight core missions under India's National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC). 2. It directly contributes to India's NDC target of creating an additional carbon sink of 2.5 to 3 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent by 2030. 3. It is administered by the Ministry of Rural Development. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1 and 2 only
2 and 3 only
1 and 3 only
1, 2 and 3

Answer: A. Statements 1 and 2 are correct: GIM is one of eight missions under the NAPCC and directly supports India's NDC carbon sink target. Statement 3 is incorrect: GIM is administered by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), not the Ministry of Rural Development.

Q2. Which of the following schemes/programmes was specifically designed to converge with the Green India Mission to support compensatory afforestation and plantation activities?

National Clean Air Programme (NCAP)
PM-PRANAM
Atal Bhujal Yojana
CAMPA (Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority)

Answer: D. GIM was designed to achieve convergence with CAMPA funds, MGNREGS, Nagar Van Yojana, and School Nursery Yojana to augment afforestation resources.

Q3. Under India's Updated Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) submitted under the Paris Agreement, what is the quantitative target for the additional carbon sink to be created through forest and tree cover by 2030?

1.0 to 1.5 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent
4.0 to 5.0 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent
2.5 to 3.0 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent
500 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent

Answer: C. India's NDC under the Paris Agreement commits to creating an additional carbon sink of 2.5 to 3.0 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent through additional forest and tree cover by 2030.

Revision flashcards

What are the core targets of the National Mission for a Green India (GIM)? To increase forest and tree cover by 5 million hectares and improve the quality of forest/tree cover over another 5 million hectares.
What is India's NDC forestry target under the Paris Agreement? Creating an additional carbon sink of 2.5 to 3 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent through additional forest and tree cover by 2030.
What major shortfalls were identified by the CAG audit (2026) regarding GIM execution? A 91.87% shortfall in improving forest cover quality and a 97.57% shortfall in expanding forest cover, along with receiving less than 48% of approved budgetary support.
Under which overarching national plan was the Green India Mission established? The National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC), launched in 2008.
Which government schemes were intended to converge with GIM to provide financial and operational support? CAMPA, MGNREGS, Nagar Van Yojana, and School Nursery Yojana.