India's first PRAMAAN certificates under the Indian Forest and Wood Certification Scheme go to APFDC and an Odisha bamboo farmer
On 29 September 2026 Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav handed over the first PRAMAAN certificates under IFWCS to the Andhra Pradesh Forest Development Corporation (33,000 ha of plantations) and Govind Mohapatra, a farmer linked to the Odisha Bamboo Development Agency.
Summary
The event in New Delhi was organised by the Indian Institute of Forest Management (IIFM), Bhopal, the operating agency of the scheme. The plantations were certified after field and management audits. The certificates mark the move of IFWCS — launched by MoEFCC in December 2023 — from a policy framework to field-level implementation in both forest plantations and tree-based farming. The minister called PRAMAAN a tool for Indian producers and exporters to meet global due-diligence and deforestation-free timber sourcing rules.
Key facts
- Certificate
- PRAMAAN, under the Indian Forest and Wood Certification Scheme (IFWCS)
- Handed over by
- Bhupender Yadav, 29 September 2026, New Delhi
- Recipients
- Andhra Pradesh Forest Development Corporation (33,000 ha); Govind Mohapatra (Odisha Bamboo Development Agency)
- Operating agency
- Indian Institute of Forest Management (IIFM), Bhopal
- IFWCS launched
- December 2023, by MoEFCC
- Purpose
- Meet global due-diligence and deforestation-free timber sourcing norms
Practice MCQs 3 questions
The PRAMAAN certificates handed over in September 2026 are issued under which scheme?
Show answer
Correct answer: D — Indian Forest and Wood Certification Scheme
PRAMAAN certificates are issued under the Indian Forest and Wood Certification Scheme (IFWCS), launched by MoEFCC in December 2023.
Which institution is the operating agency of the Indian Forest and Wood Certification Scheme?
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Correct answer: A — Indian Institute of Forest Management, Bhopal
The Indian Institute of Forest Management (IIFM), Bhopal is the scheme's operating agency and organised the event.
Consider the following statements about the first PRAMAAN certificates (2026): 1. One was given to the Andhra Pradesh Forest Development Corporation for 33,000 hectares of plantations. 2. The Indian Forest and Wood Certification Scheme was launched in December 2023. Which of the above is/are correct?
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Correct answer: C — Both 1 and 2
Both are correct: APFDC was certified for 33,000 ha, and MoEFCC launched IFWCS in December 2023.