THEBUSINESSBYTES BUREAU
NEW DELHI, AUGUST 19, 2026
Underscoring that India’s march towards development must
remain firmly anchored in ecological responsibility, Vice President C. P.
Radhakrishnan today called upon the next generation of forest officers to
strike a judicious balance between development and conservation, ecological
security and livelihoods, and present needs and the interests of future
generations. Addressing Indian Forest Service (IFS) probationers of the
2025–2027 batch and officers of the Royal Bhutan Forest Service undergoing
training at the Indira Gandhi National Forest Academy (IGNFA), Dehradun, he
emphasised that the stewardship of India’s forests, wildlife and biodiversity
will be central to the nation’s journey towards Viksit Bharat @2047.
Congratulating the officer trainees, the Vice President said
they would shoulder the responsibility of managing India’s forests, wildlife,
biodiversity and precious natural resources during the crucial decades leading
to Viksit Bharat @2047. He emphasised that the contribution of the Indian
Forest Service is integral to strengthening the nation’s ecological security
and achieving the goal of net-zero emissions by 2070.
The Vice President said that development and conservation are
not opposing forces and can always go hand in hand. He urged the officers to
find the optimal balance between conservation and development, ecological
security and livelihoods, and present requirements and the interests of future
generations.
Calling for team excellence rather than individual
excellence, C. P. Radhakrishnan said that sustained collective effort shapes
nations and institutions. He emphasised the need to respect the traditional
knowledge accumulated by communities that have lived in harmony with forests
and natural ecosystems for generations.
Emphasising integrity in public service, the Vice President
said that “integrity is non-negotiable” and that the Constitution, law, science
and larger public interest should guide difficult decisions. He also encouraged
the officers to adopt best practices while adapting them to local realities.
Highlighting the growing role of technology in forestry, he
called upon the new generation of officers to combine remote sensing, GIS,
drones, AI and data-driven systems with field experience, sound judgement and
sensitivity towards people.
The Vice President said that modern scientific forestry and
India’s civilisational wisdom must complement each other in shaping the
country’s sustainable future.
He also highlighted the increasing participation of women in
the forest services, noting that women constitute about 17 per cent of the
present batch. Describing the trend as an encouraging transformation, he said
it was a testament to Nari Shakti.
Advising the officers not to measure their careers merely by
the positions they hold, the Vice President urged them to measure their
contribution by the forests they restore, wildlife they protect, communities
whose confidence they earn and the legacy they leave for future generations. He
concluded by urging them to always keep the national interest foremost: “Rashtra
Pratham” (Nation First).
Governor of Uttarakhand Lt. General Gurmit Singh (Retd.);
Chief Minister of Uttarakhand Shri Pushkar Singh Dhami; Director, IGNFA Dr.
Rajendra Prasad; and Course Director Smt. Ajeeta Longjam and other dignitaries
were present during the occasion.
During his two-day visit to the state, the Vice President will also address the IAS probationers at the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA), Mussoorie, tomorrow.
Earlier, upon his arrival at Jolly Grant Airport, Dehradun, today, the Vice President was warmly welcomed by the Governor of Uttarakhand, Lt. Gen. Gurmit Singh (Retd.), the Chief Minister of Uttarakhand,Shri Pushkar Singh Dhami, and other dignitaries.
