Union Minister for Environment and Forests Jairam Ramesh rapped on knuckles of IFS officials who failed to perform as per expectation. Taking a dig at the mode of their functioning, he charged that their work doesn’t match the function they have been entrusted with.

Addressing a closed-door meeting with nearly 150 PhD officers of Indian Forest Services in Dehradun on Sunday, Jairam Ramesh stated that their work inclination was against their academic orientations.

He alleged that the IFS officials were more interested in enjoying managerial works within four walls rather than employing their academic qualifications in the interest of forest or wildlife conservation.

Hi informed that growing importance of wildlife protection has forced his Ministry to hammer out a separate ‘wildlife cadre’ for IFS officers. Ramesh expressed hope that enunciation of wildlife cadre will be completed in this year itself.

Union Minister cautioned the luxury-loving IFS officers that they had a tendency of mismatch in the works they performed. “Several IFS have undergone training in wildlife conservation works but they are working in managerial-like administration,” Ramesh said pointing out that inception of wildlife cadre would lead to the creation of the separate nature of works in the direction wildlife conservation.

Ramesh hinted that he favoured scientists and other specialised persons to head scientific institutions than those who come from general administration. He said, “At the time of taking over the Ministry, some secretaries were eminent scientists but they were soon replaced by general administrative service men.” More specifically, Ramesh pointed out the case of Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education and said that it was not essential that the institute be headed by an IFS officer who comes on deputation.

Earlier, Ramesh inaugurated an INSAT uplinked Micro Meteorological Tower in Forest Research Institute campus. The tower, 13-metre-high and part of FRI-ISRO climate change study programme, will gauge and model the physical and biological process controlling mass and energy exchange between tree canopy and the atmosphere.

This is for the first time that micro met tower has been used in forestry sector. Earlier, this practice was prevalent in agriculture sector. It will help understand the mechanisms controlling the flows of carbon die oxide, water and energy to and from the landscape across the spectrum of time.