President Ram Nath Kovind exhorts IFS probationers to save forests

A group of 89 probationers of the Indian Forest Service met President Ram Nath Kovind at Rashtrapati Bhavan on 3 August.
Speaking on the occasion, President Kovind congratulated the probationers on their success in a very difficult examination.

He said, "I welcome you all. You have chosen a very noble profession. Forests aren't only a resource but cover the cultural, intellectual and spiritual resource of the country. The onus of protecting the forest lies on you."

He emphasized that urgent attention needs to be paid to environmental degradation, global warming.

"In the past few decades the world has woken up to the threat to humanity from environmental degradation. Environment has become a key concern for the 21st century," he said.

The President also stated that India has become a global leader in fighting complex climate change issues.

President Kovind stressed on the importance of forests in the country. He said that forests are important to the environment as they help maintain the balance of nature. In addition to it, they also help in preventing natural disaster.

He also added that they need to work with the tribal and the local people who reside in these forests and not treat them as their enemies or intruders.

He also spoke about the forest management policies India has.

He said, "We follow the joint forest management programme. Our policies envisage care and share. You need to strike a balance between conservative needs and developmental balance."

President Kovid was also pleased to see women joining the force and termed it as a welcome development.

The probationers are presently undergoing their training in various aspects of sustainable management and administration of forest, wildlife and environment at the Indira Gandhi National Forest Academy, Dehradun.

These probationers come from diverse educational backgrounds, including forestry, engineering, agriculture, life Sciences. Four of them have doctoral degrees. 

-ANI