Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education, an autonomous council under the Ministry of Environment and Forests, was formed in 1986, and has eight national Institutes located in Dehradun, Coimbatore, Bangalore, Jabalpur, Jorhat, Jodhpur, Shimla and Ranchi, and four research centers located at Allahabad, Chhindwara, Hyderabad and Aizawl under its umbrella. ICFRE is a certified ISO 9001:2008 organization, said Dr. K.P. Singh, Chief Protocol Officer, FRI, in a press release.
The Council was established wih the mission to generate, preserve, disseminate and advance knowledge, technologies and solutions for addressing issues related to forests, and promote linkages arising out of interactions between people, forests and environment on a sustained basis through research, education and extension.
Besides, establishment of scientific forestry and forestry education in India, South Asia and elsewhere in the tropical half of the globe, the multifaceted forestry research conducted by the Council has resulted in development of various technologies and processes to address the various issues including environment management, improvement in forest output, and increase in farmers income.
A few such achievements include Environmental Impact Assessment studies of over 40 developmental projects including hydropower, mining, tourism and infrastructure development. Development of high yielding clones of Eucalyptus and Casuarina for socio economic gain for poor rural housholds, Which has a potential to raise the income from Rs 8000 to Rs 25000 per ha. Improved clones of poplar have resulted in an increase of Rs 2 lakh/ha/year in income.
The Council also under took heritage conservation Rajpath and Central Vista Tree Conservation Project, Development and maintenance of Tree Avenues in Commonwealth Games Village, Shirdi, Ta Prohm Temple Project in Cambodia, Conservation of Bodhi-Vriksha. The Council distributed Rs. 18.69 crores in the form of grants-in-aid to 26 universities in the Tenth Five Year Plan for strengthening of Forestry Education in universities. Bihar project (Samudai Adharit Samanvit Van Prabandhan Evam Sanrakshan Yojana) – Funded by Planning Commission, having total outlay of Rs 51.00 crores (ICFRE – Rs 18.94 crore and SFD – Rs 32.06 crores) to provide technical know-how, quality planting stock though high-tech and kisan nurseries training and extension in Bihar being implemented by the Council.
Recognizing the work done by the ICFRE in the area of desertification, climate change and forestry ICFRE has been awarded ‘Observer Status’ by UNFCCC and UNFCCD, ICFRE has also been awarded ‘Designated Operational Entity (DOE) Status by UNFCCC.
Considering the pivotal role of ICFRE, Prime Minister, in his address to the 17th SAARC Summit announced that a total of tenscholarships per year to SAARC Member States for post-graduate and doctoral studies in forestry courses will be provided at Forest Research Institute, dehradun.
Recently, the Supreme Court of India has entrusted the Council to undertake macro EIA studies of iron ore rich Bellary, Tumkur and Chitradurg districts of Karnataka said Dr. K.P Singh.
