IFS officers to face challenges like climate change in coming years: Bhupender Yadav

Dehradun:– Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav on Saturday said Indian Forest Service (IFS) officers would face major challenges, including climate change, in the coming years and an equal emphasis on innovation and people’s participation would be needed to address them.

Yadav was speaking at the convocation ceremony of the 2024 batch of IFS probationers at the Indira Gandhi National Forest Academy in Dehradun.

IFS officers would face major challenges in the coming years, including climate change, biodiversity loss and desertification. Addressing these challenges would require an equal emphasis on innovation, modern technology and people’s participation, the minister said.

“Artificial intelligence and other advanced technologies should be used not only for data collection and analysis, but also for developing practical solutions with human sensitivity,” Yadav said.

During his address, he underlined that a good officer is first and foremost a good human being. He urged the officers to make self-assessment and self-awareness an integral part of their lives.

Yadav said every officer’s journey after training would be unique and they should continue learning from their experiences while making exemplary contributions to society and the nation.

Earlier, Director, IGNFA, Dr. Rajendra Prasad Khajuria presented the Director’s Report and stated that the institution, which began as the Indian Forest College and now functions as the Indira Gandhi National Forest Academy, has been serving the nation since 1938.

He informed that all Indian Forest Service officers of independent India, along with 369 forest officers from 14 friendly countries, have received training from the institution.

He further stated that under the revised curriculum aligned with the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047, a total of 111 officers, comprising 109 Indian Forest Service probationers of the 2024 Batch and two officer trainees from Bhutan, completed the 20-month training programme. Of these, 75 officers secured more than 75 per cent marks and were awarded the Honours Diploma.