Consider the following states:<br/>1. Chhattisgarh<br/>2. Madhya Pradesh<br/>3. Maharashtra<br/>4. Odisha<br/><br/>With reference to the States mentioned above, in terms of percentage of forest cover to the total area of State, which one of the following is the correct ascending order?

Re-check: The question asks forest cover as % of total geographical area of the State, not absolute forest area.

1. Maharashtra – Forest cover is about 16–17% of its geographical area (as per ISFR-era figures used in UPSC prep). Verdict: Lowest among the four.
2. Madhya Pradesh – Forest cover is about 25% of state area. It has the largest forest area in absolute terms, but not by percentage. Verdict: Higher than Maharashtra, lower than Odisha and Chhattisgarh.
3. Odisha – Forest cover is about 33–34% of state area. Verdict: Higher than Madhya Pradesh, lower than Chhattisgarh.
4. Chhattisgarh – Forest cover is about 41–42% of state area. Verdict: Highest among the four.

Ascending order: Maharashtra < Madhya Pradesh < Odisha < Chhattisgarh = 3-2-4-1.

Hence, option (c) is correct. My earlier answer was wrong because I overstated the percentage forest cover of Maharashtra and Odisha.