70 Indian Forest Service probationers pass out

Tribune News Service

Dehradun, August 31

Union Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change (Independent Charge) Prakash Javadekar has called upon forest officers to adopt a human-centric approach in forest management.

Addressing the convocation of Indian Forest Service probationers 2013-15 course at Indira Gandhi National Forest Academy (IGNFA) here today, Javadekar exhorted young officers to be honest and committed to the welfare of society.

In all, 70 IFS probationers, including 28 lady probationers and two foreign trainees from Bhutan, passed out the course today. Shekhar Babu Geddam of the Andhra Pradesh cadre became the topper of the 2013-15 training course. Abdul Alim Ansari of the Madhya Pradesh cadre was adjudged topper in academic subjects. Priyanka Gahlot of Gujrat cadre won the Sanjay Singh Memorial prize.

Javadekar said a good forester sees job satisfaction in harmonious relations with society, in general, and with those living around the forests, in particular.

He called for a sensible approach in the implementation of forest rules. He said it was a matter of concern that people do not regard forests as their own, which was a matter of concern and thus, human centric forest management was the need of the hour.

Earlier, Union Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change (Independent Charge) Prakash Javadekar handed over diplomas to passing-out 2013-15 course Indian Forest Service probationers.

Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change’s secretary Ashok Lavasa in his address reminded the passing-out foresters of their legacy. He asked them to be guardians and not mere guards of the forests. “By being a guardian they will have the sense of nurturing the forests in totality,” he pointed out.

“Forest conservation must be engrained in your personality while simultaneously working for getting public interest matters resolved,” Ashok Lavasa said.

IGNFA’s Director Vinod Kumar referred to the history of the forest academy. He said 341 forest officers and 14 of the neighbouring countries have been trained in the academy after the independence. He asked the passing-out probationers to work with utmost sincerity and devotion and to always keep an open mind and innovate while dealing with various issues specially the issues concerning the livelihood of the forest dependent poor people.

Director General of Forests and Special Secretary Dr SS Negi spoke on professionalism in government.

He congratulated officers and sensitised them towards the challenges awaiting the sector.

Geddam is 2013-15 training course topper 

For Sekhar Babu Geddam, it was the happiest day of his life when he joined the Indian Forest Service and that too in a grand way by topping the course. Son of a teacher, Geddam excelled in the course by bagging the outstanding performance award in the passing-out course 2013-15. He also bagged P Srivinas Memorial Prize and the Topper Award for standing first in the core forestry subjects. A PhD degree holder in genetics, Geddam who hails from West Godavari district (Andhra Pradesh), bagged the RN Mathur Prize, Dr BN Ganguli Prize, Shreshta Vaniki Puraskar and Senior Forester Prize for excelling in various spheres of forestry. Talking to The Tribune, he said it would be a priority to work with the tribals and forest dwelling communities. He also favoured strict conservation laws asserting that he would prefer a strict approach towards diversion of forest land for any non-forest activity. Geddam said he was not against development, but would prefer striking a balance between development and conservation. First bureaucrat in the family, Geddam after completing his PhD in genetics from Pusa Institute, Delhi, got through to the Indian Forest Service in his first attempt in 2013. "I had keen inclination towards forestry and that made me opt for the Indian Forest Service," Geddam added.