By OUR STAFF REPORTER
Dehradun, 18 Jun: The Central Academy for State Forest Service (CASFoS), Dehradun, Union Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change, organised the Convocation for the 2017-19 batch of State Forest Service Officer Trainees who passed out after successful completion of 2 years Induction Training, here, today. The batch consisted of 42 Officer Trainees sponsored by various State Governments including 11 lady officer trainees sponsored by the State Governments of Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Manipur, Nagaland, Odisha, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh.
State Urban Development Minister Madan Kaushik was the Chief Guest at the function, and Omkar Singh, Director, Indira Gandhi National Forest Academy, was the Guest of Honour. Also present were Dr SC Gairola, Director General, Indian Council of Forestry Research & Education, Subhash Ashutosh, Director General, Forest Survey of India, Dr VB Mathur, Director, Wildlife Institute of India, Pankaj Agarwal, Additional Director General (Central), Regional Office, Union Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change, AS Rawat, Director, Forest Research Institute, Rajpal Singh, Director, Directorate of Forest Education, and Kunal Satyarthi, Principal of the Central Academy for State Forest Service. In addition, senior forest officers, Heads of Departments and other officers and scientists from leading organisations in and around Dehradun attended the function.
Minister Kaushik, while delivering the Convocation Address, impressed upon the passing out officers their crucial role as future custodians of the country’s rich forest wealth. He said they were entering the service at a time when the sector faces multiple challenges and requires great skill and devotion to rise to the expectations of their countrymen.
All successfully passing out Officer Trainees were given diploma certificates, while 21 Officer Trainees were given Honours diploma certificates. Five meritorious trainees were given special awards. Pradeep (Uttar Pradesh) won the Ministry of Environment & Forests, Gold Medal, as also the Silver Medal for ‘Best All Rounder Officer Trainee and Most Practical Officer’. Sweta Singh (Madhya Pradesh) was given the Silver Medal for ‘Proficiency in Forest Management and Working Plan’, while Prashant Kumar Sakare (Madhya Pradesh) got the Silver Medal for ‘Proficiency in Ecology’. Vineeta Singh (Uttar Pradesh) won the ‘RC Kaushik Prize for Proficiency in Soil Conservation and Land Management’, and Abhishek Kumar Tiwari (Madhya Pradesh) won the Central Academy for State Forest Service Association Prize for ‘Proficiency in Forest Engineering and Survey’. Pradeep (Uttar Pradesh) won the ‘P. Srinivas Prize in Forest Protection and Tribal Welfare’.
