India, April 20 -- While the recent move to open up forest plantations to private participation has triggered debate, it also offers a timely opportunity to revisit a more fundamental concern: how India understands, measures and manages its forests.

India's improving global forest rankings are often cited as evidence of policy commitment and administrative success. With more than one-fifth of its geographical area under forest cover and an ambitious national target of one-third, the country appears to be on a steady trajectory. Yet, beneath this narrative lies a more complex reality. The central question is not whether forest cover is increasing, but whether India is adequately capturing the full value and sustainability of its forests....