Q. A particular State in India has the following characteristics:
- It is located on the same latitude which passes through northern Rajasthan
- It has over 80% of its area under forest cover.
- Over 12% of forest cover constitutes Protected Area Network in this State.
Which one among the following States has all the above characteristics? (UPSC Prelims 2012)
Answer:
Arunachal Pradesh
Notes: The correct answer is
[A] Arunachal Pradesh. This question requires a combination of geographical mapping skills and knowledge of India's environmental data, specifically from the India State of Forest Report (ISFR).
- Latitude Alignment (Characteristic 1): If you trace a line of latitude passing through northern Rajasthan (specifically through districts like Ganganagar or Bikaner), it passes directly through the northeastern states. Among the options, Arunachal Pradesh sits on a similar latitudinal belt (roughly $28^\circ\text{N}$). While Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh are also northern states, their specific longitudinal and latitudinal spreads don't align as cleanly with the "northern Rajasthan" marker in a trans-India line as the stretch toward the Northeast does.
- Forest Cover (Characteristic 2): According to the ISFR, Arunachal Pradesh consistently maintains a forest cover of over 80% (approximately 79-80% depending on the specific report year).
- Assam has about 36%.
- Himachal Pradesh has about 27-28%.
- Uttarakhand has about 45%.Only Arunachal Pradesh meets the "over 80%" criteria mentioned in the characteristic.
- Protected Area Network (Characteristic 3): Arunachal Pradesh has a robust Protected Area Network (PAN) consisting of National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries (like Namdapha, Mouling, and Pakhui). Over 12% of its forest cover is integrated into this network, which is a significant proportion of its massive forest resource.
Comparison Table of Forest Cover:| State | Forest Cover % (Approx) | Meets 80% Criteria? |
| Arunachal Pradesh | ~79-80% | Yes |
| Assam | ~36% | No |
| Himachal Pradesh | ~28% | No |
| Uttarakhand | ~45% | No |