India’s climate strategy relies heavily on ecosystem restoration and enhancement of natural carbon sinks. In this context, the Green India Mission (GIM) plays a crucial role by promoting afforestation, biodiversity conservation, and climate resilience. However, the recent Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) performance audit has highlighted gaps in funding, implementation, monitoring, and convergence with other environmental programmes. This topic is important for aspirants preparing for GS3 Environment through Civil Services Coaching.
Green India Mission
- Launch: Initiated in 2014 under the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC); implementation began in 2015‑16.
- Approach: Landscape‑based strategy focusing on afforestation, eco‑restoration, and livelihood support.
Objectives:
- Increase forest & tree cover by 5 million ha.
- Improve quality of another 5 million ha.
- Enhance biodiversity, water security, and carbon sequestration.
- Support forest‑dependent communities with livelihood opportunities.
Achievements
- Funding Released: ₹1,019.26 crore released till March 2026, covering ~1.55 lakh ha of plantations.
- Forest Cover Trends:
- ISFR 2023: Forest & tree cover = 25.17% of India’s area.
- Increase of 4.83% since 2013.
- Global Recognition: India ranked 3rd globally in annual net forest gain (FAO 2025).
- Livelihood Support: Plantation & eco‑restoration activities linked to income generation for forest communities.
Link to Climate Commitments
- NDC Target: Create additional carbon sink of 2.5–3 billion tonnes CO₂ equivalent by 2030.
- Role of Forests: Carbon sequestration, biodiversity conservation, water regulation, soil protection, and climate resilience.
CAG Audit Findings
- Funding Deficit: Against proposed ₹10,600 crore, only ₹1,149.14 crore received (2015–25).
- Weak Convergence: Poor integration with CAMPA, MGNREGS, Nagar Van Yojana, and School Nursery Yojana.
- Financial Controls:
- 8 States/UTs did not maintain annual accounts.
- Several accounts unaudited or with discrepancies.
- Monitoring Gaps: Weak outcome‑based tracking; survival rates of plantations not adequately measured.
- Overall Shortfall: Targets under GIM interventions significantly underachieved despite national forest cover increase.
COMPTROLLER AND AUDITOR GENERAL (CAG)
- Constitutional Authority: Established under Article 148 of the Constitution, the CAG is a constitutional office responsible for auditing the accounts of the Union and States.
- Functions & Duties: As per Articles 149–151, the CAG audits receipts and expenditure of the government, public sector undertakings, and bodies substantially financed by government funds.
- Independence & Safeguards: Appointed by the President; removal process is the same as that of a Supreme Court Judge, ensuring autonomy. Salary and service conditions are charged on the Consolidated Fund of India.
Accountability Mechanism: CAG submits reports to the President or Governor, which are then placed before Parliament or State Legislature. These reports are examined by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), strengthening legislative oversight.
Conclusion
The audit shows that financial support alone is insufficient; India must strengthen institutional convergence, monitoring, and ecological outcome measurement to make GIM a true pillar of its climate strategy.
