Forestry Education and Training in Jammu and Kashmir

Forestry education and training in Jammu and Kashmir has a long history of more than 100 years with the advent of scientific forest management. The forestry education and training in the state may be categorized broadly as training of IFS, SFS and FROs at national level academy, training colleges and schools and training of sub-ordinate personnel viz., Forester, Dy. Foresters, Forest Protection Guards, Watchers, Class IV Employee, etc. in the state-run training schools, U.G., P.G. and Doctoral Programme in SAUs and specific training of in-service officers/officials in the Directorate of Forest Education (DFE) colleges, ICFRE institutes, ICAR institutes, WII, Dehradun, etc. Despite many major initiatives, the forestry education and training need a shift of paradigm to keep pace with current development and future challenges in the state. The forestry institutes require augmentation of infrastructures, upgradation of the existing system and strengthening the inter-institutional linkages. The career opportunities for forestry professionals required to be created in private, government and non-government organizations in the state.