Forest cover rises to 21,346 sq km; 23,000+ ST students get scholarships
VIKRAM SHARMA
SRINAGAR: Jammu & Kashmir’s forest cover has expanded by nearly 400 sq. km in the last decade, according to the India State of Forest Report (ISFR) 2023.
However, the latest Parliamentary data reveals that most claims under the Forest Rights Act (FRA) have been rejected, and the extent of land actually granted under the Act in the Union Territory has not been reported.
A detailed report on the Forest was put forth during this monsoon parliament session.
Figures from the Forest Survey of India show J&K’s forest cover increased from 20,948.27 sq. km in 2013 to 21,346.39 sq. km in 2023, marking a gain of 398.12 sq. km. Between 2019 and 2023 alone, forest area expanded by 224.39 sq. km, reflecting efforts under schemes such as the Green India Mission, CAMPA, and habitat restoration projects.
Replying to members’ queries on the status of the FRA, the Minister of Tribal Affairs stated that as of 31 May 2025, 46,090 claims had been filed in Jammu & Kashmir, comprising 33,233 individual and 12,857 community claims. Of these, only 6,020 titles were granted (429 individual and 5,591 community), 39,924 were rejected, and 146 remain pending. The disposal rate stands at 99.68%, but with an 87% rejection rate.
The Minister further noted that the extent of forest land for which these titles were granted has not been reported by the J&K administration, despite such data being available for most other States and Union Territories.
The House was also informed that according to the India State of Forest Report (ISFR) 2023, the forest cover in J&K rose from 20,948.27 sq. km in 2013 to 21,346.39 sq. km in 2023, registering a decadal gain of 398.12 sq. km. Between 2019 and 2023 alone, forest area expanded by 224.39 sq. km.
On educational support for Scheduled Tribe students, the Government stated that under the Post-Matric Scholarship Scheme, 10,430 beneficiaries were recorded in 2022–23, 7,319 in 2023–24, and 15,309 in 2024–25. For the Pre-Matric Scholarship Scheme, the beneficiary numbers stood at 4,689 in 2022–23, 2,548 in 2023–24, and 8,371 in 2024–25.
