CURRENT AFFAIRS | MARCH 2026
CLAT Relevance
• GK Section — Forest ranks, FAO GFRA 2025, FSI, ISFR, satellite names
• Legal Reasoning — Van Sanrakshan Adhiniyam 2023, forest conservation vs development debate
• Key Numbers — 9th globally, 3rd in net gain, 72,739 thousand hectares, 10% canopy threshold
• GK Section — Forest ranks, FAO GFRA 2025, FSI, ISFR, satellite names
• Legal Reasoning — Van Sanrakshan Adhiniyam 2023, forest conservation vs development debate
• Key Numbers — 9th globally, 3rd in net gain, 72,739 thousand hectares, 10% canopy threshold
India’s Global Forest Standing
- India ranks 9th globally in total forest area with approximately 72,739 thousand hectares
- India is the 3rd largest country in net annual forest area gain
- These rankings come from the FAO Global Forest Resources Assessment (GFRA) 2025 — the United Nations’ most comprehensive forest database
Van Sanrakshan Evam Samvardhan Adhiniyam, 2023
Key Legal Changes
India’s forest governance underwent a significant overhaul with this Act, which replaced the earlier Forest Conservation Act framework:
• Eased guidelines for forest land diversion for strategic and defence projects
• Exempted land within 100 km of international borders from certain forest clearance requirements
• Introduced provisions for compensatory afforestation outside the diverted area
Debate: Environmentalists argue it weakens forest protection; government says it balances development with conservation
India’s forest governance underwent a significant overhaul with this Act, which replaced the earlier Forest Conservation Act framework:
• Eased guidelines for forest land diversion for strategic and defence projects
• Exempted land within 100 km of international borders from certain forest clearance requirements
• Introduced provisions for compensatory afforestation outside the diverted area
Debate: Environmentalists argue it weakens forest protection; government says it balances development with conservation
Forest Survey of India (FSI) — How Forests Are Measured
- The Forest Survey of India (FSI) publishes the India State of Forest Report (ISFR) biennially
- FSI defines forest cover as all land with a tree canopy density of more than 10%, regardless of ownership or legal classification
- This means plantations, orchards, and urban tree patches can count as “forest cover” — a definition that has drawn criticism
- The satellite used for forest mapping: IRS-R2 LISS-III (Indian Remote Sensing satellite)
The Monoculture Debate
Key Issue
A significant controversy surrounds counting monoculture plantations as forests. While they meet the 10% canopy density threshold, single-species plantations lack the biodiversity and ecological services of natural forests. This inflates official forest cover numbers while masking real ecological degradation.
A significant controversy surrounds counting monoculture plantations as forests. While they meet the 10% canopy density threshold, single-species plantations lack the biodiversity and ecological services of natural forests. This inflates official forest cover numbers while masking real ecological degradation.
Mnemonic — Forest Governance Quick Facts
9-3-10: India is 9th in total forest area, 3rd in net gain, 10% canopy density threshold for classification
9-3-10: India is 9th in total forest area, 3rd in net gain, 10% canopy density threshold for classification
Source: UPSC Essentials, The Indian Express — March 2026
Practice Quiz
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Practice Quiz — 10 CLAT-Style Questions
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