According to the National Forest Policy of India, what fraction of the country's geographical area should ideally be maintained under forest and tree cover?

Introduction / Context:
The National Forest Policy of India provides guidelines and targets for forest conservation and management. Competitive exams often test the policy target for the proportion of land that should be under forest and tree cover, because it reflects how a country balances development needs with environmental protection. This question checks whether the learner knows the recommended fraction of India's total geographical area that should ideally be covered by forests and trees.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The reference is the National Forest Policy of India.
• The policy specifies a target percentage of geographical area to be under forest and tree cover.
• Options given are half, one-third, one-fourth and one-fifth of the total geographical area.
• The question asks for the ideal target, not the actual current forest cover.
• No regional exceptions for hills or plains are mentioned in the question stem.

Concept / Approach:
The National Forest Policy clearly states that for a balanced environment, about one-third or 33 percent of the total geographical area of a country like India should be under forest and tree cover. Some detailed versions also mention a higher target for hill and mountainous regions, but the general national level goal remains one-third. Therefore, to answer this question, the candidate simply needs to recall this key figure and match it with the most appropriate description among the given options.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall from environmental studies that the National Forest Policy sets a target for forest cover. Step 2: Remember that this target is approximately 33 percent of the total geographical area of the country. Step 3: Translate 33 percent into fractional form, which is roughly equal to one-third. Step 4: Examine the options half, one-third, one-fourth and one-fifth and find the one which matches this remembered target. Step 5: Select one-third as the correct answer.

Verification / Alternative check:
Textbooks in geography and environment commonly summarise this policy statement as the goal of bringing one-third of the area under forest cover for ecological balance. If one remembers that 50 percent would be unrealistically high for a densely populated developing country and that 20 to 25 percent is closer to current actual levels rather than the target, it becomes clear that the policy must aim higher than the current status but not as high as half. This reasoning again leads to one-third as the standard policy benchmark, confirming the answer.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Half: Fifty percent forest cover is not the official policy target for India and would be very difficult to achieve given the high population density and land needed for agriculture and settlements. One-fourth: A quarter of the geographical area is closer to actual forest cover in some periods, but the policy aims above this level, so this option underestimates the target. One-fifth: This would correspond to only 20 percent forest cover, which is clearly lower than both actual and target levels and does not reflect the policy goal. Any blank option: It does not represent a defined fraction and therefore cannot be correct.

Common Pitfalls:
Some students mix up the actual forest cover percentage with the policy target and may choose one-fourth because it sounds realistic. Others might mistakenly think that environmental policies always demand very high values and may be tempted by half. It is important to remember that the National Forest Policy represents a practical yet ecologically meaningful goal, which has been consistently quoted as one-third of the geographical area. Regular revision of such key environmental statistics helps avoid these confusions.

Final Answer:
The National Forest Policy aims to keep one-third of the geographical area of India under forest and tree cover.