UPSC Prelims 2026 · GS Paper I
Question 40: Environment and Ecology
Which one of the following is the first Plan Vivo certified Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) project in India ?
AnswerUPSC’s answer is (c).
The Khasi Hills Community REDD+ project in Meghalaya was the first REDD+ project in India to be certified by Plan Vivo. It works with community-owned forests, paying local communities for conserving forests and the carbon they hold, with benefits shared with the communities. The Uttarakhand, ICFRE-ICIMOD and Sikkim initiatives are not the first Plan Vivo certified REDD+ project.
Why each option is right or wrong
- (a) Wrong: the Uttarakhand project was not India's first Plan Vivo REDD+ project.
- (b) Wrong: the ICFRE-ICIMOD transboundary initiative was not the first Plan Vivo project.
- (c) Right: Khasi Hills in Meghalaya was the first Plan Vivo certified REDD+ project.
- (d) Wrong: the Sikkim project was not the first.
Only the provisional key (27 May 2026) was found; the final key replaces it when found.
Answer: UPSC’s key. Explanation: written by UPSC Grade, not by UPSC.
Source: UPSC, Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination 2026, General Studies Paper I, Series A. The paper on upsc.gov.in.