Which one of the following is the first Plan Vivo certified Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) project in India?
Answer & explanation
Answer: (c) Khasi Hills Community REDD+ project
The Khasi Hills Community REDD+ Project in East Khasi Hills, Meghalaya, is the project the Plan Vivo Foundation describes as India's first community-based REDD+ programme. It began in 2011 and is run with community groups and certified under Plan Vivo.
- ✓ (c) Plan Vivo's own project page calls the Khasi Hills Community REDD+ Project India's first community-based REDD+ programme. It protects and restores 27,000 ha of cloud forest in East Khasi Hills, Meghalaya, with 86 community groups taking part.
- ✗ (d) Plan Vivo, the certifying body, gives the 'India's first' description to the Khasi Hills project, so another project, including Sikkim Mamley Kamrang, cannot carry it.
- ✗ (a) Plan Vivo describes the Meghalaya project (option c) as India's first community-based REDD+ programme, so the Uttarakhand project is not the first.
Remember · Khasi Hills Community REDD+ Project (East Khasi Hills, Meghalaya): India's first community-based REDD+ programme, started 2011 and certified under Plan Vivo.
Sources
- Plan Vivo Foundation: Khasi Hills Community REDD+ Project, India ↗ · reference work “The Khasi Hills Community REDD+ Project is India’s first community-based REDD+ programme and protects and restores 27,000 ha of cloud forest, in addition to preserving sacred groves and watersheds.”
Question and answer: UPSC's provisional GS Paper I (2026, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 1 Oct 2026 (how we verify). ·