- Why in news
- On 29 September 2026, Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav handed over the first PRAMAAN certificates under the Indian Forest and Wood Certification Scheme in New Delhi.
- What it is
- The Indian Forest and Wood Certification Scheme (IFWCS), branded PRAMAAN, is a national framework to certify forests, wood and non-timber forest products. It aims to link certified produce to domestic and global markets. Certification rests on third-party audit, not self-declaration.
- Operating agency
- The Indian Institute of Forest Management (IIFM), Bhopal, runs the scheme as its operating agency.
- Launch
- The Ministry launched IFWCS in December 2023; the first certificates mark the move to field-level implementation.
- First recipients
- Andhra Pradesh Forest Development Corporation got certificates for 33,000 hectares of plantations, and an Odisha bamboo farmer associated with OBDA also got one.
- Standard
- Forest Management certification is assessed against the Indian Forest Management Standard, part of the National Working Plan Code 2023.
- Accreditation
- Certification bodies are accredited by NABCB under the Quality Council of India.
Don’t confuse with NABCB vs BIS: NABCB accredits certification bodies and sits under the Quality Council of India; BIS is the national standards body.
Environment: Prelims tests bodies, programmes and the law behind them; Mains asks why plans fall short.
Why it matters
- Verified sustainability credentials help Indian timber and wood products meet deforestation-free sourcing rules of major markets.
- Brings farmers, tribal communities and women SHGs into certified, premium markets.
Problems
- Small growers may find audit and certification costs and procedures hard to bear.
- Global buyers must accept the scheme's recognition.
Way forward
- Support group certification through farmer producer organisations and state agencies.
- Seek international recognition of PRAMAAN.
Put in your answer
PRAMAAN first certificates: APFDC plantations over 33,000 hectares were certified after field and management audit.
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- 2026Prelims Q29Implications of Oeko-Tex certification for Eri Silk in global markets
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UPSC’s own questions that come close to this issue, from our Prelims and Mains banks.
Prelims practice · Single answer
Ours, not from a UPSC paper
Consider the following statements about the Indian Forest and Wood Certification Scheme (IFWCS), branded PRAMAAN:
Which one of the following statements is correct?
True or false?
1 of 7
Statements the way Prelims prints them. Say first, then see the fact.
1.The Indian Forest and Wood Certification Scheme is operated by the Indian Institute of Forest Management, Bhopal.
True. IIFM, Bhopal is the operating agency.
2.The scheme was launched by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change in December 2023.
True. Launched December 2023.
3.Certification bodies under PRAMAAN are accredited by the Bureau of Indian Standards.
False. They are accredited by NABCB under the Quality Council of India.
4.Forest Management certification under PRAMAAN is assessed against standards that are part of the National Working Plan Code 2023.
True. Indian Forest Management Standard is part of NWPC 2023.
5.PRAMAAN certification relies mainly on self-declaration by forest managers and growers.
False. It rests on independent third-party audit, not self-declaration alone.
6.The first PRAMAAN certificates were given to the Andhra Pradesh Forest Development Corporation for plantations over 33,000 hectares and to a bamboo farmer from Odisha.
True. APFDC (33,000 ha) and an Odisha bamboo farmer.
7.The scheme covers only forests and excludes tree-based farming and non-timber forest products.
False. It covers forests, wood, agroforestry and non-timber forest products.
Written by us from the release, not by UPSC; checked by a second model.
Source: PIB, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change., 29 Sep, 11:16 IST · Release 295437
Worth revising until Prelims 2028: most news questions come within two years of the event.