INDIAN COUNCIL OF FORESTRY RESEARCH AND EDUCATION (ICFRE), DEHRADUN

ORGANISATION

The mandate of the Council is to organize, direct and manage research and education in forestry sctor. The Council is established as an autonomous society, the ICFRE Society, of which Minister of Environment and Forests is President. A 21 member Board of Governers is responsible for direction and control of the affairs of the society. The Director General is the Chief Executive of the Council. He is assisted by four Deputy Director Generals, a Director (Research), a Seceretary and small supporting staff.

OBJECTIVES

The major objectives of the Council are as follows:

• To undertake, aid, promote and coordinate forestry education, research and its application.

• To develop and maintain a National Library and information Centre for forestry and allied sciences.

• To act as a clearing-house for research and general information relating to Forests and Wildlife.

• To develop forest extension programmes and propagate the same through mass media, audio-visual aids and extension machinery.

• To provide consultancy services in the field o forestry research, education and training and in allied sciences.

• To do other things considered necessary to attain the above objectives.

ICFRE RESEARCH INSTITUTES AND CENTRES

There are eight research institutes and one advanced centre under the Council. Each institute/centre is headed by a Director, assisted by senior staff responsible for research programmes, facilities and administration. The Director has administrative autonomy. Research programmes are determined in consultation with a Regional Advisory Group(RAG) for each institute and National Advisory Group (NAG) for the Council.

• Forest Research Institute (FRI), Dehradun

• Tropical Forest Research Institute (TFRI), Jabalpur

• Arid Forest Research Institute (AFRI), Jodhpur

• Temperate Forest Research Institute (TFRIS), Shimla

• Institute of Forest Productivity (IFP), Ranchi

• Institute of Wood Science and Technology (IWST), Bangalore

• Institute of Forest Genetics & Tree Breeding (IFGTB), Coimbatore

• Institute of Rain and Moist Deciduous Forest Research (IRMDFR), Jorhat

• Centre for Social Forestry and Eco-Rehabilitation (CSFER), Allahabad

FORESTRY RESEARCH

Forests should be sustainably to meet the ecological, economic,social,cultural and spiritual human needs of present and future generations. These needs are for forest products and services, such as wood and non-wood products, water, microclimate,absorption of green house gases (carbon sinks and reservoirs) mitigation of global warming,shelter, employment,rcreation,habitat for wildlife,landscape diversity and maintaining the productivity of the country. Appropriate measures should be taken to protect forests against harmful effects of pollution, including air-bome pollutants,fires,grazing,pests and diseases in order to maintain their full multiple values.

The present situation calls for urgent and consistent action for conserving and sustaining forest resources. The following priority areas have been identified :

Productivity

Improvement through species selection,genetic improvement, propagation and nursery techniques, biofertilizers, biopesticides,pathology and enformology.

Management

Conservation and management of eco-systems, participatory, community and social management and rehabilitation of natural forests, wastelands and plantations.

Utilisation

Appropriate and economic utilization of wood and non-wood forest products.

Policy and Socio-Economics

Socio-economic implications of policies,technolo- gies, management systems, marketing of forest produce and poverty alleviation of forest dwellers.

FORESTRY EDUCATION

Following the recommendations of National Commission on Agriculture, 14 State agricultural universities and 5 general universities started B.Sc. forestry courses. Later on 5 universities started M.Sc. forestry courses. These programmes have been only partly successful, whilst facilities and equipment are inadequate for provision of specialist training.

In 1991, Govt. of India granted Deemed University status to Forest Research Institute, Dehra Dun, to provide postgraduate and postdotorate courses in forestry and environment. Deemed University is establishing linkages between forestry training institutions and universities, and planning to produce qualified and experienced teaching staff besides evolving curriculum to meet the needs of forestry services.

FORESTRY EXTENSION

In the past, extension programmes were almost exclusively based on building research extension linkages through silvicultural conferences, generally held once every five years. The emphasis of the new national forest policy on the involvement of communities in the management of forest resources has stimulated a growing awreness on the importance of forestry extension. Similarly, farm forestry programmes are dependent on providing advice and assistance to small farmers for cultivation of trees, in much the same way as the Indian Council of Agricultural Research have done for crops over many years. There is also an increasing appreciation of the need to undertake research that responds to the needs of user research results and to disseminate the results effectively, through developing strong research- extension linkages.

ICFRE has started the following programmes to eliminate constraints, affecting forestry extension:

• Strengthening institutional linkages between the research institutes,state forest departments and private sectors.

• Training forestry extension staff and motivating them for innovative action.

• Production of extension materials using expert media professionals on contract basis.

• Suggesting modifications in existing laws which are major constraint in promoting the sustainable use of forests and planting of the trees.

PUBLICATION OF BROUCHERS AND BOOKS

Brouchers on Bamboo, Poplar, Casuarina, Albizia procera, Madhuca indica catechu, Moringa, Pinus roxburghii and jatropha curcas have been published by the ICFRE in the recent past to popularise growing of these economically important forest species. These brouchers contain handy information on cultivating these species and have been widely circulated and well received by the state forest departments, NGO's and farmers.

In addition, the following books were also published by the ICFRE during 1991 to 93.

1. Food from forests
2. Fodder from forests
3. Honey and honeybees
4. Venerated plants
5. Forest seed
6. Mycorrhizae of indian forest trees
7. Multipurpose trees and shrubs
8. Silviculture of Indian Trees, Vol.VII
9. Surface mined lands-problems and prospects
10. Advances in pulp and paper research in India
11. Wood seasoning technology
12. Root diseased in forest nurseries of M.P.
13. Effects of growing Eucalyptus
14. A hand book for field identification for 50 important timbers of India.

CAPSULE COURSES

To educate the growers on the latest advances in forestry techniques, short term training courses are conducted particularly in the subject of seed technology, application of biofertilisers, sawing, seasoning and treatment of refractory juvenlie plantation timbers etc.

FORESTRY PROGRAMME FOR RURAL POVERTY ALLEVIATION

Under the UNDP project 100 villages have been adopted by the ICFRE institutes for demonstrating role of forestry in poverty alleviation. Besides, packages for increase in biomass production,utilization of juvenile timber and appropriate marketing process are being promoted.

OTHER ACTIVITIES

To vitalise and provide new direction to Forestry Research Management, International and National Seminars are organised, which help in crystalliisng new ideas for activating Forestry Research. Similarly workshops are organised with forest based industries and ICFRE scientists to enable a better appreciation of the research needs of industries and joint collaborative research for solutions thereto.

The other modes of maintaining linkages with the user groups are holding Regional meeting of silviculturists and research workers in the various zones. Holding of seminars on other important fields of forestry e.g. education, non-wood forest products, afforestation methods for stress sites etc. are other ways of extending information to user groups.

Active extension support to State forest departments and NGO's is also provide by the ICFRE scientists by way of actual field assistance whenever sought.

FUTURE PROGRAMMES

The Council has solicited international assistance from the World Bank, the USAID,the UNDP and other forestry organisations for strengthening its research and administrative base. Some of these projects, viz, UNDP, FORSPA, Ford Foundation, IDRC have been sanctioned and are being implemented, whereas the World Bank and JICA are in an force by the end of the year. The assistance under the projects mentioned above caters for :

• Strengthening of existing ICFRE Institutes.

• Development of National Forest Library and Information Centre.

• Development of the Deemed Forestry University.

• Development of Research-Extension linkages.

• Developing quality planting material, use of biofertilizers and biopesticides.

• Improving utilization of fast-grown timber and marketing.

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