Which of the following statement(s) is/are correct about 'India State of the Forest Report' (ISFR)?
(A) The first State of the Forest Report was published in 1947.
(B) The report is based on the biennial assessment of India's forests carried out by Forest Survey of India (FSI).
(C) Based on the ISFR 2021 report the total forest cover of the country is 21.71% of the total geographical area of the country.
(D) The ISFR 2021 report shows a decrease of forest cover as compared to the previous assessment.
Choose the correct answer using the codes below:

Let’s evaluate each statement one by one:

(A) The first State of Forest Report was published in 1947.

Incorrect. The first “India State of Forest Report (ISFR)” was published in 1987, not in 1947.

(B) The report is based on the biennial assessment of India’s forests carried out by Forest Survey of India (FSI).

Correct. The Forest Survey of India (FSI), under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), publishes the report every two years (biennially).

(C) Based on the ISFR 2021 report, the total forest cover of the country is 21.71% of the total geographical area of the country.

Correct. As per ISFR 2021, the forest cover of India is 7,13,789 sq km, which is 21.71% of the country’s geographical area.

(D) The ISFR 2021 report shows a decrease of forest cover as compared to the previous assessment.

Incorrect. The ISFR 2021 reported an increase of 1,540 sq km in forest cover compared to the ISFR 2019.

Released by: Forest Survey of India (FSI), MoEFCC

Frequency: Every 2 years (biennial)

Latest Edition: ISFR 2021 (as of now)

·       Total Forest Cover: 7,13,789 sq km (21.71%)

·       Tree Cover: 2.91%

·       Total Forest and Tree Cover: 24.62% of geographical area

·       Increase: 1,540 sq km compared to ISFR 2019

·       Top States (by forest cover %): Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Manipur, and Nagaland

The ISFR serves as an essential tool for monitoring India’s forest resources and guiding conservation policies.