FORESTRY COLLEGES AND COURSES IN INDIA

Forestry colleges and courses in India

Aim of this webpage is to provide information about Forestry colleges and courses in India which comes under the section of Agriculture colleges in India. This consolidated list of colleges includes the best Forestry colleges and courses in India and other private and government colleges of reputed standard.

The following information about Forestry colleges and courses in India is accurately compiled for student's reference purposes. But in case, there is some discrepancy in the details of the colleges provided here, then we welcome any suggestion that will improve the quality of this page.

CAREER IN FORESTRY

Study/Training
A graduate course should be taken after 10+2 in subjects such as : Agriculture, Economics, Geology, Natural Sciences, Mathematics, Statistics, Mechanical Engineering or Environmental Sciences or Forestry for entry. Courses in forestry are given in the Table at the end of this chapter.

Indian Forest Services (IFS)

The IFS is a Central Government Service, for which a selection test is conducted by the Union Public Service Commission, Dholpur House, New Delhi, for better and integrated forest management. This examination is separate and different from the other Civil Service exams.

UPSC Examination for the Forest services is open only to science and engineering graduates. It is based on IAS pattern and a candidate may take 4 attempts. Age should be 23-28 years.

Eligibility- Graduates with at least one of these subjects

• Botany
• Chemistry
• Zoology
• Physics
• Statistics
• Geology
• Agriculture
• Forestry
• Engineering

Papers- Compulsory papers are, General English (Essay and precis/summary/comprehension and verbal ability ) and General Knowledge.

Optional Papers are - Agriculture or Agricultural Engineering, Botany, Chemistry or Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Geology, Mathematics of Statistics, Mechanical Engineering, Physics, Zoology and Forestry. The test is of the essay type and has to be taken in English. Candidates qualifying the objective type go through a rigorous medical examination, e.g. a walk of 25 km. in 4 hours for men and 14 km. in 4 hours for girls. The final selection is made at a interview. Interview is generally forest oriented. After the written examination and the oral test the prospective foresters go through medical screening. For the selected candidates there is a training period like the IAS officers followed by a course at the Indira Gandhi National Forest Academy, Forest Research Institute at Dehradun. During this period most subjects related to the work are taught followed by six month training at the Mussoorie Academy.

State forest Service

State forest officials are recruited by State Public Service Commissions of the respective states. The eligibility for candidates and the examination pattern is almost on the same pattern as for Indian Forest Service examinations.

Forest rangers examination is also conducted at state level by the Staff Selection Commissions. Eligibility for this examination is graduation  with science subjects, however, in some states class 12 with science subjects is required.

INSTITUTES / COLLEGES IN INDIA OFFERING FORESTRY

Institutions in forestry education and research (ICFRE) Dehradun (UP)

Indian Council for Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE) located at Deharadun manages different forestry research and education functions. It oversees the progammes of the Forest Research Institute at Dehradun. FRI runs special courses and training in forest related industries, e.g., paper, pulp and plywood manufacture, wood-seasoning etc. Research into problems related to nurturing of trees, improvement and development of forests, and utilization of forest products is also the work done at FRI. Training is imparted in forest botany, forest mycology, forest entomology, and silviculture. Other available courses are sericulture ( the raising of silkworms for silk industry), animal husbandry, horticulture and veterinary science. It also has other functions, namely, overseeing the programmes of National Diciduous Institute of Genetics and Tree Improvement at Coimbatore and the Arid Institute at Jorhat. Trained people begin in grade of Scientists "C" and the jobs are available in any of the institutes under ICFRE as managers or extension officers.

Indian Institute of Forest Management, Bhopal

Established in 1982 the Indian Institute of Forest Management (IIFM) is an autonomous body under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Wildlife to meet the need felt for managerial exposure of the existing and future forest officers as also to provide needed managerial manpower in forestry related fields. The Institute has now emerged as a major educational training and research centre in the field of forestry management, having started research and training programmes soon after it was set up. It was, however, in July 1988 that it launched its two year Post Graduate Diploma Programme in Forestry Management. It was developing not only as an educational and training centre but also as a consultancy centre and is expected to acquire international fame and recognition.

Post Graduate diploma in Forestry Management (PGDFM) - Two years Masters level programme was introduced in July, 1988 for fresh graduates from all over India to meet the professional manpower requirements of forestry and allied sectors, so enormous in terms of number; and quality. The Master level programme is a judicious mix of the technical and managerial inputs catering to the needs of specific clientele which has been identified as different from forest-based industries, e.g. Forest Corporations, Social Forestry Directorates, National Wastelands Development Board, NABARD and other Banks, State Forest Departments, Department of Rural Development, Departments of Soil Conservation, Non-Governmental Organizations.

Admission requirements- Bachelor's Degree ( or equivalent ) from any University in any discipline with minimum 50% aggregate marks at Degree and Matric/High School/Higher Secondary level (45% in case of SC/ ST at both levels). Candidates appearing for final year examination of the Bachelor's Degree ( or equivalent) may also (their admissions would be provisional). However, they would be required to submit the evidence of their minimum qualifications by 1st of July.

Reservation of SC/ST candidates - 15% and 71/2 % of the seats are reserved for candidates belonging to SC/ST communities, respectively, as notified by the Government of India, who satisfy the admission requirements.

Selection - Admission to the Course is made based on two stage processing, (i) The IIM Combined Admission Test (CAT), (ii) group discussions/personal interviews. The written examination focuses on numerical and analytical skills, comprehension and general awareness.

Management Development Programme (MDP)- The Institute conducts short term Management Development Programmes for Forest Officers from all over India, State Corporations and other forestry related organizations. The courses have become very popular on account of their usefulness in developing the performance abilities and practical approach. The training programmes are highly relevant in the context of result oriented administration and the crying need of which is to improve the quality of public services in the present times of globalization. The programmes afford an opportunity to he participants to examine government policies, assess and evaluate such policies and explore possible alternatives in the context of current economic, social and political environment of the country in a fast changing world.

Research- The research studies of the Institute aim at accumulating reliable and adequate data, generating knowledge for rational decision making vis-a-vis problems of management in related sectors. Researches of applied nature by which developing of new concepts and techniques relevant to the forestry and forest-related systems becomes possible are undertaken as a rule. Research activities of the Institute have for its focus the national concerns of the forestry sector. Main research priority and thrust area are ecological stability and sustainable productivity of forest resources to satisfy diverse socio-economic needs of society and particularly the rural poor.

Forest and wildlife management

Since wildlife and forests go together, a forest officer is also trained in wildlife management. But for those interested in specialization, there is the Wildlife Institute in Dehradun, formed in 1982. It meets the demand for trained manpower and research for the many wildlife parks and conservation areas in the country. This Institute conducts a one-year diploma course in Wildlife-Biology and Management, apart from refresher and specialized courses for officers of the forest departments