Sunday, 27 November 2022 | PNS | DEHRADUN
504 degrees awarded to students in sixth convocation of FRI deemed university
Knowledge and innovations are vital for promoting knowledge economy while university education is also important for protecting, improving and conserving nature. The Indira Gandhi National Forest Academy director Bharat Jyoti said this while speaking at the sixth convocation of the Forest Research Institute (FRI) deemed university here on Saturday.
Narrating the efforts of the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change for skill development in the environment and forest sector under Green Skill Development Programme, he stated that by providing skills to the youth not only can the global challenges be effectively tackled but the Nationally Determined Contributions, Sustainable Development Goals and National Biodiversity Targets can also be attained. Referring to the National Education Policy, he exhorted the students to derive its benefits to maximise their talents and make career choices. Congratulating the degree recipients and awardees, he urged them to take the acquired knowledge and skills further and to contribute meaningfully towards nation building.
Speaking on the occasion, additional director general (Wildlife), MoEFCC, Bivash Ranjan stated that forest conservation should be given top priority and scientific interventions are needed to address the issues linked with forest productivity enhancement, generation of raw material for forest based industries, poverty alleviation, pollution management, reforestation, climate change and other aspects. He shared various initiatives of the MoEFCC being undertaken for successfully addressing these issues. Highlighting the role of quality education in building the nation, Ranjan stressed on establishing mechanisms to facilitate cooperation and integration among educational, research and development institutions in forestry and in related areas.
The university chancellor and Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE) director general Arun Singh Rawat talked about important initiatives of the ICFRE like preparation of second National Forestry Research Plan (NFRP) for the country for the year 2020-2030, Forestry Extension Strategy and Action Plan for the year 2018-2023, implementation of green skill development programme of the ministry, preparation of DPR for rejuvenation of 13 major rivers through forestry interventions, and national REDD+ strategy among other works. Speaking about the forestry education scenario in India, Rawat informed that accreditation of 31 State and agricultural universities offering graduate and post graduate programmes in forestry is regularly done by the ICFRE to ensure the high institutional quality and standard.
The FRI director and university vice chancellor Renu Singh presented a report of the university mentioning its accomplishments and future aspirations to become the first-rank forestry based research university in the world with focused action plan to meet the challenges of forestry and related areas.
A total of 504 degrees including 115 PhDs and 389 MSc degrees were conferred in different disciplines and programmes of forestry during the convocation.
