CAG audit of Green India Mission highlights flaws in forest restoration strategy

Environmental Ecology and Climate Change · 19 August 2026 · Based on The Hindu (original report)

Worth reading — 1 past UPSC question on this theme (Prelims GS-1 2019).

2-minute summary

A performance audit by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of the National Mission for a Green India (GIM) has revealed severe implementation gaps. Over a decade, GIM achieved less than 10% of its forest quality improvement target, restoring only 0.11 million hectares against the targeted 1.4 million hectares. Furthermore, forest cover expansion achieved a mere 4% of its target. The audit highlighted a critical failure in converging GIM with the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) and the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS, rebranded as VB-G RAM G). The audit warns that India's environmental strategy is shifting from holistic ecological restoration to superficial tree-planting headcount drives, such as 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam'. This is reflected in the India State of Forest Report (ISFR) 2023, where 89% of the recorded green cover gain was 'tree cover outside recorded forests' (TOF), while dense natural canopies within recorded forests continue to degrade into scrub.

Why it's in the news

The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) released a performance audit of the Green India Mission (GIM), exposing massive target deficits in forest quality improvement and cover expansion. The audit raises critical concerns about India's ability to meet its Paris Agreement carbon sink commitments due to a policy focus on tree-planting numbers over genuine ecological restoration.

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), unveiled in 2008. GIM was designed to protect, restore, and enhance India's diminishing forest cover while responding to climate change through a combination of adaptation and mitigation measures. It serves as a key instrument for India to fulfill its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement, which commits to creating an additional carbon sink of 2.5 to 3 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent by 2030 through additional forest and tree cover. However, the mission has faced structural challenges, including inadequate funding, poor inter-agency coordination, and a conceptual shift toward quantitative tree-planting targets rather than qualitative ecosystem restoration.

Constitutional provisions

Article 48A — A Directive Principle of State Policy (DPSP) directing the State to endeavor to protect and improve the environment and to safeguard the forests and wildlife of the country.
Article 51A(g) — A Fundamental Duty of every citizen of India to protect and improve the natural environment including forests, lakes, rivers, and wildlife.
Seventh Schedule (Concurrent List, Entry 17A) — Forests were moved from the State List to the Concurrent List by the 42nd Amendment Act of 1976, allowing both Central and State governments to legislate on the subject.

Committees and reports

Performance Audit Report of the CAG on the Green India Mission — Evaluated the decade-long performance of GIM, highlighting that it achieved less than 10% of its forest quality improvement targets and failed to establish convergence with CAMPA and rural employment schemes.
India State of Forest Report (ISFR) — Reported a green cover gain of 1,445 sq km, but revealed that only 156 sq km was true forest, with the remaining 1,289 sq km being tree cover outside recorded forests (TOF).

Government schemes

National Mission for a Green India (GIM) — Launched to improve forest quality, increase forest/tree cover, and secure ecosystem services like hydrological balance and biodiversity.
Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) — Manages funds collected from industries for diverting forest land, meant to be integrated with GIM for structured afforestation.
Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam — A massive tree-plantation campaign launched in 2024, which has reported planting 140 crore saplings but is criticized for focusing on headcount over ecological restoration.

International organisations

United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) — The international treaty under which India submitted its Paris Agreement NDCs, pledging to create an additional carbon sink of 2.5 to 3 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent by 2030.

Previous UPSC questions on this theme

Prelims GS-1 2019 — Consider the following statements : 1. As per law, the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority exists at both National and State levels. 2. People's participation is mandatory in the compensatory afforestation programmes carried out under the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Act, 2016. Which of the statements given above is/are correct? (a) 1 only (b) 2 only (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2

Mains practice: Analyse the findings of the CAG's performance audit on the Green India Mission. Why has India struggled to translate tree-planting campaigns into genuine ecological forest restoration?

The Comptroller and Auditor General's (CAG) recent performance audit of the National Mission for a Green India (GIM) has exposed critical gaps in India's forest restoration strategy. Over a decade, GIM achieved less than 10% of its forest quality improvement target (0.11 million hectares against 1.4 million hectares) and only 4% of its forest cover expansion target.

India's struggle to translate tree-planting campaigns into genuine ecological restoration stems from several key factors:

• **Headcount-Centric Approach vs. Ecological Restoration**: Government initiatives like 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam' focus heavily on quantitative sapling targets. However, as the India State of Forest Report (ISFR) 2023 highlights, out of 1,445 sq km of green cover gain, 1,289 sq km is 'tree cover outside recorded forests' (TOF). Meanwhile, dense natural canopies within recorded forests are thinning into scrub.

• **Failure of Institutional Convergence**: GIM was designed to leverage funds and labor from CAMPA and MGNREGS (VB-G RAM G). The CAG audit notes that this intended convergence never materialized, starving the mission of coordinated resources and field-level labor.

• **Invasive Species and Monocultures**: Restoration efforts often rely on fast-growing or invasive species (such as Prosopis juliflora in the Aravallis) rather than native flora. These species fail to support local biodiversity, disrupt hydrological cycles, and cannot replicate complex natural ecosystems.

• **Neglect of Local Ecosystem Dynamics**: True restoration requires long-term nurturing, soil-water conservation, and protection from encroachment, which cannot be achieved through simple landscaping or short-term planting drives.

To meet its Paris Agreement commitment of creating a 2.5 to 3 billion tonne carbon sink by 2030, India must shift its policy paradigm from 'counting trees' to 'restoring forests' by prioritizing native biodiversity, ensuring inter-departmental convergence, and empowering local communities in forest governance.

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 missions under the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC). 2. It is designed to help India meet its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement. 3. The India State of Forest Report (ISFR) 2023 indicates that the majority of India's recent green cover gains occurred within recorded forest areas. 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. Statement 3 is incorrect because the ISFR 2023 shows that out of 1,445 sq km of green cover gain, 1,289 sq km (approx. 89%) was 'tree cover outside recorded forests' (TOF), while dense canopy within recorded forests is thinning into scrub.

Q2. The invasive plant species 'Prosopis juliflora' (locally known as vilayati kikar), which has degraded native ecosystems in the Aravalli range, is native to which region?

East Africa
South and Central America
Mediterranean Basin
Southeast Asia

Answer: B. Prosopis juliflora is an invasive shrub native to South and Central America. It was introduced to India to meet fuel wood demands and stabilize soils but has aggressively overrun native semi-arid ecosystems.

Q3. Under the Paris Agreement, India's Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) target for carbon sequestration by 2030 is to create an additional carbon sink of:

2.5 to 3.0 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent
1.0 to 1.5 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent
3.5 to 4.0 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent
1.5 to 2.0 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent

Answer: A. India's NDC target under the Paris Agreement commits the country 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 percentage of its forest quality improvement target did the Green India Mission (GIM) achieve according to the CAG audit? Less than 10% (0.11 million hectares achieved out of a 1.4 million hectare target).
According to the ISFR 2023, what is the main component of India's recent green cover increase? Tree cover outside recorded forests (TOF), which accounted for 1,289 sq km out of the total 1,445 sq km gain.
Which two major schemes was GIM designed to converge with to secure funding and labor? The Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) and the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS/VB-G RAM G).
What is the primary ecological limitation of tree-planting drives like 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam'? They focus on quantitative sapling headcount (landscaping) rather than restoring complex, self-sustaining, and biodiverse forest ecosystems.
In which year was the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC), which houses GIM, unveiled? 2008.