With reference to Uttar Pradesh, consider the following statements:(1)Forests constitute about 12.8% of the total geographical area of the State.(2)The districts of Jaunpur, Ghazipur and Ballia have no forest land.Select the correct answer from the code given below.

1. A

   Only 1

   Option (a) claims that only statement 1 is correct regarding the forest statistics and geographical features of Uttar Pradesh. This is incorrect because statement 2 is also factually substantiated by official state forest reports regarding districts devoid of natural forest cover. Therefore, restricting the answer to just the first statement overlooks the absolute accuracy of the second statement.

2. B

   Both 1 and 2

   Option (b) claims that both statement 1 and statement 2 are correct. Statement 1 accurately reflects the approximate recorded forest and tree cover percentage of the state's total geographical area based on official Forest Survey of India data. Statement 2 is also correct as districts like Jaunpur, Ghazipur, and Ballia have virtually no recorded natural forest land due to high agricultural land-use intensity. Consequently, this option is the official key.

3. C

   Only 2

   Option (c) claims that only statement 2 is correct, dismissing the first statement as erroneous. This is incorrect because the recorded forest and tree cover percentage cited in statement 1 aligns closely with the latest India State of Forest Report statistics for Uttar Pradesh. Thus, ignoring the first statement makes this choice invalid.

4. D

   Neither 1 nor 2

   Option (d) claims that neither statement 1 nor statement 2 is correct. This is completely wrong because both statements present empirically verified facts concerning Uttar Pradesh's environmental geography and district-wise forest distribution. Rejecting both claims contradicts official forestry data.

Summary. Official key is (b) Both 1 and 2. Statement 1 correctly notes that forests and tree cover constitute approximately 12.8 percent of Uttar Pradesh's total geographical area according to recent official assessments. Statement 2 correctly identifies that densely populated Gangetic plain districts such as Jaunpur, Ghazipur, and Ballia lack notable natural forest land. Aspirants must carefully study state-specific environmental and geographical indicators from the India State of Forest Report. Both statements successfully pass factual scrutiny, making option (b) the correct choice.