CAG Performance Audit of Green India Mission

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Key takeaways

The CAG performance audit reveals that GIM improved forest quality on only 0.11 million hectares against the targeted 1.4 million hectares.
The audit highlighted a massive 98% shortfall in overall forest cover expansion between 2015-16 and 2024-25.
Sub-optimal implementation of GIM threatens India's Paris Agreement target to build a carbon sink of 2.5 to 3.0 billion tonnes by 2030.
Experts recommend allocating 70% of mission funds to eco-sensitive zones using ISRO vulnerability maps and tracking 3 to 5 year sapling survival rates.

The Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) presented a performance audit of the National Mission for a Green India (GIM) in Parliament.
This performance audit evaluated the mission's progress from 2015-16 to 2024-25 across 16 States and Union Territories.
The government started GIM in 2014 as one of the eight core missions under the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC).
The mission aims to expand forest cover, restore degraded land, protect biodiversity, build carbon sinks for the Paris Agreement, and support forest livelihoods.

The audit found that GIM achieved only 8% of its forest quality improvement goal alongside a huge 98% afforestation shortfall.
The CAG pointed out serious shortcomings in funding delivery, inter-agency coordination, and ground-level monitoring.

Against the goal of improving forest quality on 1.4 million hectares, the mission covered only 0.11 million hectares.
State implementation bodies recorded a 98% shortfall in expanding overall forest cover during the audit timeframe.
State officials bypassed vulnerable climate zones and chose low-risk regions without scientific justification.
The mission worked in isolation without linking to other forestry programs like CAMPA or MGNREGS.
Several state agencies failed to maintain yearly financial records, leading to unverified accounting entries.
The program lacked unified annual planting targets, live seedling tracking systems, and field verification procedures.

Programs like Nagar Van Yojana and School Nursery Yojana operated independently instead of following a broad landscape strategy.
State Forest Departments faced administrative delays, shortages of field staff, and slow approval of Annual Plans of Operation.
The program suffered from persistent gaps between estimated financial requirements and actual budget allocations.
Delays in sending funds from state treasuries to field units disrupted essential pre-plantation nursery preparations.
Historic planting drives focused mainly on total sapling counts rather than native biodiversity and multi-layer forest canopies.
High mortality rates occurred because agencies failed to maintain saplings over the required 3 to 5 year lifecycle.
Limited involvement of Gram Sabhas and Joint Forest Management Committees (JFMCs) reduced local ownership of plantations.
Agencies neglected forest-based livelihood goals, which decreased local community motivation to protect plantation sites.
Poor execution threatens India's Paris Agreement target of creating a carbon sink of 2.5 to 3.0 billion tonnes by 2030.

High population density and competing agricultural land use make acquiring large parcels of land for planting very difficult.
Heatwaves, unpredictable rainfall, and human-wildlife conflicts lower sapling survival rates across field locations.
State capacities vary significantly regarding frontline staffing, nursery automation, and digital monitoring systems.

State governments should establish single-window coordination bodies to pool funds from GIM, CAMPA, and MGNREGS.
Authorities should direct at least 70% of available funds to eco-sensitive areas using ISRO climate vulnerability maps.
Forest divisions should measure success by tree canopy growth after 3 to 5 years rather than initial saplings planted.
States must mandate high-resolution satellite tracking, geotagged tree monitoring, and public transparency dashboards.
Governments should transfer planning authority and survival-linked Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) payments to JFMCs and FRA bodies.

The CAG report offers a clear framework to reform forest governance and improve environmental outcomes.
India can fulfill its international climate commitments by moving from symbolic planting numbers to transparent, community-led forest restoration.