Dehradun: Vice President C. P. Radhakrishnan told trainee forest officers on Wednesday that development and conservation need not pull against each other, urging them to strike a balance between ecological security and the livelihoods of communities that depend on forests.
Radhakrishnan was addressing Indian Forest Service probationers of the 2025-27 batch, along with officers of the Royal Bhutan Forest Service, at the Indira Gandhi National Forest Academy (IGNFA) in Dehradun. He told the trainees they would be responsible for managing India’s forests, wildlife, biodiversity and natural resources through the coming decades as the country works towards its Viksit Bharat 2047 goal.
He said the Indian Forest Service has a direct role in strengthening the country’s ecological security and in meeting India’s target of net-zero emissions by 2070. Officers, he said, should aim for the right balance between conservation and development, between ecological security and livelihoods, and between today’s needs and the interests of future generations.
Radhakrishnan asked the officers to prioritise team performance over individual achievement, saying institutions and nations are built through sustained collective effort rather than by any one person. He also called on them to respect the traditional knowledge built up over generations by communities that have lived alongside forests and natural ecosystems.
Integrity and technology in forest management
On public service conduct, the Vice President said integrity was non-negotiable, and that officers facing difficult decisions should be guided by the Constitution, the law, science and the wider public interest. He also encouraged them to draw on established best practices while adapting these to local conditions.
Radhakrishnan pointed to the growing use of technology in forestry and asked the new officers to combine remote sensing, GIS, drones, artificial intelligence and data-driven systems with field experience, sound judgement and sensitivity to local communities. Modern scientific forestry, he said, needs to work alongside India’s civilisational wisdom rather than replace it.
He also noted that women make up around 17 per cent of the current batch of trainees, calling the figure an encouraging sign of change.
Radhakrishnan told the officers not to judge their careers by the posts they hold, but by the forests they restore, the wildlife they protect, the trust they earn from local communities, and the legacy they leave behind. He closed his address with the phrase “Rashtra Pratham” — Nation First.
The event was attended by Uttarakhand Governor Lt General Gurmit Singh (Retd.), Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, IGNFA Director Dr Rajendra Prasad and Course Director Ajeeta Longjam, among other officials.
Earlier in the day, the Vice President arrived at Jolly Grant Airport in Dehradun, where he was received by Governor Gurmit Singh and Chief Minister Dhami.