National Forest Policy Questions and Answers

Answer: C

The policy that emphasised people's participation is the National Forest Policy, 1988.

The 1988 policy changed the aim of forest management from revenue to environmental stability and the needs of local people. It called for creating a massive people's movement, with women's involvement, to protect and regenerate forests, which led directly to Joint Forest Management in 1990.

The 1894 colonial policy and the 1952 policy treated forests mainly as a source of revenue and raw material for industry. The Forest Conservation Act, 1980 is a law restricting diversion of forest land, not a forest policy.

Answer: C

The 1952 policy set the minimum forest area at 33%.

The National Forest Policy of 1952 laid down that India should aim to have one-third of its land area under forest, 60% in the hills and 25% in the plains, for environmental stability. The 1988 policy kept the same national goal of one-third.

18% and 23% are below this target (about 21-22% is close to India's actual forest cover), and 39% exceeds it.

Answer: C

For ecological balance a country needs 33% of its land under forest.

The National Forest Policies of 1952 and 1988 set the national goal of having one-third of the land area under forest or tree cover, and two-thirds in the hills, to maintain ecological balance and environmental stability.

12% and 20% are below this target, and 46% is above it.

India's actual forest and tree cover is about a quarter of its area, so the one-third goal remains a target of national policy, pursued through afforestation and agroforestry.

Answer: C

The National Forest Policy 1988 sets the goal at 33%.

The policy states that the national goal should be to have a total of one-third of the geographical area of the country under forest or tree cover. In the hills and mountains, the aim is two-thirds of the area, to prevent erosion and land degradation.

25% and 35% are not the figure stated, and 50% is not the national target, though it is close to the two-thirds aimed at for the hills.

Answer: C

The first forest policy was the National Forest Policy, 1894.

The Forest Policy of 1894, issued by the British Government of India on the advice of J. A. Voelcker, was the country's first formal forest policy. It aimed to manage the forests for the public benefit, chiefly for revenue and to meet the needs of agriculture, and it allowed forest land to be cleared for cultivation.

1952 was independent India's first forest policy, not a pre-Independence one. 1862 and 1872 are not policy years, though the Forest Department was established in 1864 and the first Forest Act passed in 1865.

Answer: B

The 1952 policy aimed at 33% forest cover.

The National Forest Policy of 1952, independent India's first, laid down that the country as a whole should aim at maintaining one-third of its land area under forest: 60% in the hills and 20% in the plains. The 1988 policy kept the same one-third national goal.

25%, 30% and 40% do not match the figure of one-third set by either policy.

Answer: B

The National Forest Policy, 1952 prescribed 60% of land area under forest in the hills.

The policy set a national goal of one third of the total land area under forest, made up of 60% in the hills, to prevent erosion and protect catchments, and 25% in the plains. The National Forest Policy of 1988 kept the one-third goal and the two-thirds target for hills.

33% is the overall national goal, not the figure for hills, and 50% does not appear in the 1952 policy, so 'None of the above' is also wrong.

Answer: D

The first forest policy of independent India was promulgated in 1952.

The National Forest Policy of 1952 set the goal of bringing one-third of India's land area under forest (60 per cent in the hills and 25 per cent in the plains) and stressed the needs of defence, industry and communications. It was replaced by the National Forest Policy of 1988, which put ecological balance first.

The earlier forest policy of 1894 belonged to the colonial period. 1950, 1954 and 1956 are not policy years.

Answer: C

The 1952 policy prescribed 60% forest cover in the hills.

The National Forest Policy of 1952 set a national goal of one-third of the land area under forest, to be achieved by keeping 60% of the area under forest in the hills and mountainous regions (to protect against erosion and landslides) and 20% in the plains. The 1988 policy repeated the two-thirds target for hills.

20% is the figure for the plains, and 30% and 45% are not targets set by the policy.

Answer: B

The 1894 policy was based on the report of Dr. Voelcker (printed 'Voelker').

J.A. Voelcker, the agricultural chemist sent to India in 1889, wrote the 'Report on the Improvement of Indian Agriculture' (1893). His recommendations on forests, especially the needs of agriculture for fodder, fuel and small timber, formed the basis of India's first Forest Policy, issued by the Government of India on 19 October 1894.

Hooker was a botanist, and Duthie and Collett were botanists who wrote regional floras; none of their reports underlay the 1894 policy.