President Droupadi Murmu attends convocation of probationers of Indian Forest Service

President Droupadi Murmu congratulated all the trainee officers of the 2022 batch of the Indian Forest Service and said that there are 10 women officers in this batch.

President Murmu said, "Women are a symbol of progressive change in the society. The National Forest Academy has played a very important role in the field of environment. The officers of the Indian Forest Service have the responsibility of conservation, promotion and nourishment of forests."

She expressed hope that these officers will be alert and conscious of this unparalleled responsibility and will discharge their responsibilities with full devotion. She said that priorities should be human-centric as well as nature-centric.

The President said that conservation of the biodiversity and natural beauty of the earth is a very important task, which we have to do very soon.

"Human life can be saved from crisis through conservation and promotion of forests and wildlife. Officers of the Indian Forest Service like P Srinivas, Sanjay Kumar Singh, S Manikandan have sacrificed their lives while performing their duties. The Indian Forest Service has given the country many officers who have done incomparable work for the environment. They are discussed with great respect. Make all of them your role models and move forward on the ideals shown by them," President Droupadi Murmu said.

The President expected the experts of the Indian Forest Academy to consider making appropriate amendments in the curriculum of the trainees in view of the climate emergency. "There has been a rapid loss of forest resources in many parts of the world. With the help of science and technology, we can compensate for the damage at a faster pace. There is a need to develop solutions according to the geographical conditions of India by assessing various options," she further said.

The President said that the chariot of development has two wheels - tradition and modernity. "Today human society is suffering from many environmental problems. One of the main reasons for this is a special kind of modernity, which has exploitation of nature at its core. In this process, traditional knowledge is neglected. Tribal society has made the eternal laws of nature the basis of its life. Tribal lifestyle is mainly based on nature. People of this society also conserve nature," the President said.

President Murmu said that it is very important that the importance of the knowledge accumulated by the tribal society for centuries is understood and it is used to improve the environment.

The President said that all the officers of the Indian Forest Service not only have to conserve and enhance the natural resources of India, but also have to use the knowledge accumulated by tradition in the interest of humanity. "By coordinating modernity and tradition, forest wealth has to be protected and the interests of the people dependent on forests have to be promoted. Whenever you are in a dilemma, then you should take a decision keeping in mind the values of the Constitution and the interests of the people of India," she added.

Governor Lieutenant General Gurmeet Singh (Retd) said on the occasion of the convocation of Indira Gandhi National Forest Academy that this ceremony is an important step to raise new capable leadership in the field of conservation and management of our national forest heritage.

"As a premier institution for excellence in Indian wildlife and wildlife studies, Indira Gandhi National Forest Academy has played a very important role in its field. This institution has set standards of excellence in the field of wildlife management and conservation and has trained new officers," Governor said.

The Governor said that Uttarakhand is nestled in the lap of the Himalayas, which provide it with an incomparable heritage of natural beauty.

"Uttarakhand is known for its rich and diverse forest wealth. The major asset of our state is its forests, which are home to a very rich biodiversity. In addition, Uttarakhand is home to many rare species of herbs and aromatic plants. The common people of Uttarakhand worship the forests, giving them a deity-like status, in fact our state is among the leading states of the country in terms of forest conservation. The Indian Forest Service is a respected service with a glorious tradition of national service. From the dense forests of the Western Ghats to the mighty Himalayas, from the mangrove areas of Sundarbans to the deserts of Rajasthan, you will serve in many diverse places," he further said.

He expressed hope that during the training, the trainees would have been imbued with the knowledge, skills and values, on the basis of which they will stand up to every test in every situation. (ANI)