Forestry Education and Training in India - Past, Present and Future

Forestry education and training in India, has a long history of more than 138 years. Over the years, the role of foresters has changed from mere provider of timber for developmental activities and revenue to the government to that of an environmentalist and conservationist and one who takes care of livelihood concerns of the local communities. To enable them discharge the dynamic and multifarious roles, efforts are being made by the Central Government to continuously build capacity of the forestry personnel and to provide quality forestry education to those who are aspiring for careers in forestry. However, it is necessary to conduct thorough review of the forestry education being imparted by the various institutions in the country to assess the requirement of trained forestry personnel by the public and private sectors and training needs analysis of the forestry personnel so as to appropriately equip them for intensive and sustainable management of forest and wildlife resources.