Understanding the Aim of Green India Mission

The question asks about the primary aims of the 'Green India Mission', a flagship program of the Government of India. Let's break down each statement provided and see how well it aligns with the objectives of this mission.

Analyzing Statements on Green India Mission's Aims

Statement 1: Incorporating environmental benefits and costs into the Union and State Budgets thereby implementing the `green accounting'.

This statement talks about 'green accounting'. Green accounting is an area of environmental economics that attempts to factor environmental costs into the financial results of operations at different levels, from companies to nations. While understanding the environmental impact on the economy is important, incorporating environmental costs and benefits into budgets through green accounting is generally considered a separate, albeit related, concept to the core operational goals of the Green India Mission.

Statement 2: Launching the second green revolution to enhance agricultural output so as to ensure food security to one and all in the future.

This statement refers to enhancing agricultural output and ensuring food security, often associated with the concept of a 'green revolution'. The original Green Revolution focused on improving agricultural practices to increase food grain production. The Green India Mission, however, primarily focuses on forestry and related ecological aspects, not on boosting agricultural yield directly for food security purposes. These are distinct areas of government focus.

Statement 3: Restoring and enhancing forest cover and responding to climate change by a combination of adaptation and mitigation measures.

This statement directly reflects the core objectives of the Green India Mission. The mission is part of India's National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) and focuses on increasing forest and tree cover, improving the quality of existing forests, and enhancing the livelihoods of forest-dependent communities. These activities directly contribute to carbon sequestration (mitigation) and help ecosystems and communities cope with the impacts of climate change (adaptation). Therefore, this statement accurately describes the aim of the Green India Mission.

Conclusion Based on Statement Analysis

Based on the analysis, only Statement 3 accurately describes the primary aim of the Green India Mission.

• Statement 1 is related to green accounting, which is not the central aim of the mission.
• Statement 2 is related to agricultural production and food security, which is distinct from the mission's focus on forestry and climate change response.
• Statement 3 correctly identifies the focus on forest cover restoration and climate change adaptation and mitigation.

Therefore, the correct description of the Green India Mission's aim is given only in statement 3.

Revision Table: Green India Mission Aims

Additional Information on Green India Mission and Climate Change Terms

The Green India Mission (GIM) is one of the eight missions under India's National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC). Its objectives include:

• Increasing forest and tree cover by 5 million hectares and improving the quality of forest cover on another 5 million hectares.
• Improving eco-system services like carbon sequestration and hydration.
• Increasing forest-based livelihood income of about 3 million households.

The mission's focus on increasing forest cover and improving forest quality directly contributes to carbon sequestration, which is a climate change mitigation measure. Mitigation aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions or remove them from the atmosphere. Simultaneously, by enhancing forest ecosystems, the mission helps strengthen the resilience of these areas and dependent communities to the adverse impacts of climate change, which is a form of adaptation. Adaptation involves adjusting to actual or expected future climate.