Forest education and research in India: Country report

Abstract

The critical review of existing system of forestry education in India reveals that: (a) inadequacy of funds and staff with suitable educational background/qualifications remains as a major constraint to forestry development in India both in the context of new plantation establishment and resource management. Secondly, due to the fact that major part of forests has state ownership, education and training programmes are limited to the personnel of the Forest Departments, (b) a large number of trained personnel is required for development of a large scale forestry sector in vast country like India, (c) Non‐recognition of the potential of non‐wood forest products in the existing curricula of education and training, (d) Although the recommendations of Indian National Agriculture Commission (1976) are being implemented with wider education courses in agricultural universities, some of the problems afflicting the developing countries are encountered in India, on varying levels of severity in inadequacies of institutions, technological weakness, insufficiency of investment funds, lack of meaningful participation of the people and so on (Tewari, 1993). The proposed new strategies include: (a) forest research development funds be created by tapping the resources of various financial institutions for meeting the needs of research and education (b) Central, regional and the state level research/ education organizations be strengthened according to the recommendations of the National Commission on Agriculture (1976) and (c) the courses at the existing management institutes including Indian Institute of Forest Management should be availed to increase managerial efficiency (d) Suitable courses for continuing education and training of the serving forestry/research personnel should be evolved by various institutions including Indian FRI Deemed University and other research institutions like Kerala Forest Research Institute (KFRI) at the State level councils. The study also recommends that a newly designed programme should work in the context of sustainable development in an environmentally sound, economically viable and socially acceptable way. In addition to the inherent aspect of forestry for sustainable harvesting and utilization of trees and forests, tourism, recreation, non‐wood forest products (NWFPs), water and wood production aspects in the context of sustenance should be considered. While obtaining the graduate/postgraduate qualifications in the universities, the degree courses should include sections on the design, scientific conduct of research, monitoring and evaluation of research. Role of Regional Networks should be realized and implemented, comprising industry linkages and inter‐disciplinary and inter‐institutional collaborations. It should be multidisciplinary in nature including genetics and biotechnology, resource mensuration, biodiversity and sustainable management, appropriate silviculture, harvesting, economics and resources evaluation and social sciences. There is an urgent need for research into all aspects of technology entailed in the utilization of NWFPs while national capacity building is of utmost priority for technology transfer and enhancing the technical capabilities of rural communities, farmers, forest resource managers and small‐scale forest‐based industrialists in responding effectively to the changing social, economic and environmental needs.