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Education News

tions, simplifying decision-making the state’s three forestry
processes for students, employers, colleges are up in arms
and policymakers. “Switching the against the government
accreditation system from graded to for reducing reserved
binary will stop the rat race among quotas for forestry grad-
higher education institutions for uates and freezing all
getting the highest grade. This will new direct recruitment.
also encourage more universities and “The government
colleges to apply for accreditation as reducing the quota
the fear of getting a low grade will be from 75 percent to 50
eliminated. Binary accreditation is percent five years ago
a globally accepted practice and will had already shrunk
bring the Indian accreditation sys- the number of jobs in
tem on a par with global standards,” forestry service for spe-
she says. Protesting forestry students: “right to feel wronged” cialist graduates. Now
NAAC’s record of the past 30 the Bhaskar Report has
years in attracting HEIs to volunteer estry graduates for the post of RFOs opened up promotions to RFO to all
for evaluation has been dismal. The from 75 percent to 50 percent in 2018, KPSC graduates. This is unfair, unjust
new binary accreditation system may the trigger for the current protest is a and illogical. The posts of ACF, RFO
result in a reversal of its fortunes. report submitted in January by T.M. and Deputy RFO require specialised
Autar Nehru (Delhi) Vijay Bhaskar, Karnataka’s former knowledge which only forestry gradu-
chief secretary. The Bhaskar Report ates possess. In a country where the
KARNATAKA recommends filling all vacant RFO forest area is rapidly decreasing, we
Forestry graduates positions through promotions which need experts not generalists, in de-
cision making positions. Moreover,
could result in non-forestry graduates
protest constituting a majority within the for- forestry is not privatised in India.
Therefore, employment into the gov-
ests management service.
Karnataka — one of India’s green
ernment’s forestry service is our only
ver 700 students from three states with forest cover of 38,284 sq. employment option,” says Manoj C,
state government-run forestry km, the fourth highest countrywide a student of College of Forestry, Pon-
Ocolleges in Karnataka who — — hosts three Colleges of Forestry nampet.
were on a month-long protest in their — in Sirsi (Uttara Kannada district), his contention that specialised for-
college campuses, congregated in Ponnampet (Kodagu district) and Testry graduates should constitute
Bengaluru to stage a protest between Iruvakki (Shivamogga district). Ac- a majority within the forestry service
February 26-29. Their demand is the cording to the protesters, 450 stu- is seconded by Dr. Vasudeva, Dean,
state government stipulates that only dents who graduate annually after a College of Forestry, Sirsi. “Currently,
forestry sciences graduates will be in- four-year Bachelor of Forestry degree a mere 16 percent of staff in ACF and
ducted into the positions of Assistant programme, are confronted with the RFO posts are forestry graduates.
Conservator of Forests (ACF), Range rising spectre of unemployment be- This is wrong. The bachelor’s degree
Forest Officer (RFO), and Assistant cause generalists who clear the Kar- in forestry is a four-year programme
Range Forest Officer (ARFO) — the nataka Public Services Commission in which government invests Rs.12-14
entry level forests conservation and (KPSC) exam are being inducted into lakh per student to ensure graduating
management cadre at the state level. the forestry service. students are thorough in forests sci-
Top level positions such as District/ Two decades ago in 2003, the state ence and management. It’s ironical
Divisional/Forest Officers, Conserva- government decreed that 50 percent that after investing so much in them,
tor of Forests, Chief Conservators and of ACF, RFO and Deputy RFO posi- the government doesn’t want to re-
Principal Chief Conservator of Forests tions should be reserved for gradu- cruit them. In the case of agriculture
are held by members of the Indian ates with specialised forestry quali- and horticulture departments, there is
Forest Service (IFoS) — one of three fications. Subsequently in 2012, this a clear mandate that for certain posts,
All India Services including Indian reservation was hiked to 75 percent a degree in these fields is mandatory.
Administrative Service and Indian for RFO positions. However in 2018, That is not the case for forestry jobs.
Police Service. it was reduced again to 50 percent. Therefore, forestry graduates are
Although resentment has been Now with the Bhaskar Report recom- right to feel they are wronged,” says
brewing for a while since the state mending filling of all vacant RFO posi- Vasudeva.
government slashed the quota for for- tions through promotions, students of According to a 2023 report of the

24 EDUCATIONWORLD MARCH 2024