Course Philosophy

An important purpose of this training course is to give the OT the tools that he or she will need to succeed in the forestry career. Certainly, a broad based understanding is important. However, there are also certain skills which transcend any particular discipline. These include the ability to learn independently, the ability to think critically and explain your understanding with clarity, and an ability to work constructively with others. The lecture formats have the potential to deliver content, which is a major goal of many courses. However, sitting in a lecture seat does not guarantee learning, nor does it develop the skills mentioned above. Therefore, all lectures are designed with active training-centered approach in mind. The OTs are expected to analyze relevant and real life problems in light of what are learnt from lectures.

The training course for the SFS course is designed to address following requirements:

• Management of vast natural resources
• Conservation of precious forest resources while understanding the larger policies of the government, industrial and common man’s requirement
• Accomplishment of any allied or non forestry responsibility when entrusted by the state

Keeping in view of the above, the following aspects are stressed during the training

• Imparting technical knowledge and skills on forestry and allied subjects
• Imparting management knowledge and skills
• Moulding a person’s personality so that he develops leadership qualities and achieves his true potential n any responsibility entrusted to him.

Giving him a higher level of physical fitness to handle the rigours of the above course objectives, training at the college extends for two years, which include four months ‘Filed Training’ in their respective states. Comprehensive exposure to all the subjects that are directly or indirectly related to forestry are given. Efforts are made to acquaint the trainees with the science and art of forestry. The 2005-07 course is the first sandwich pattern of training for SFS Officers in which the syllabi have been revised to keep pace with the recent trends. The OT’s will join in first week of April every year for the first phase, which lasts for sixteen months. Then they will report to their respective states, for ‘Field Training’, which is for four months. Filed training will be directly under the supervision if this college and the concerned state forest department. Finally the trainees will come back to Dehradun for the second phase for a period of four months. During this period, the trainees will be given opportunity of sharing their experiences in the states and seek solutions to the problems encountered in the field, besides, of course covering some subjects of most practical importance.

List of Equipments for State Forest Officer Course trainees

Academic Daily Schedule

In all normal working days, the official activity starts with Physical Training (PT) class for 30 minutes and ends with games class which lasts for one hour. Between these two classes there are seven lectures in the form of theory, practical or other interactions. A standard daily routine looks as follows

Generally the pre lunch session is devoted to theory and post lunch, for practical classes. During the winter the PT class may be postponed to 0630hrs to 0700 hrs and during summer the games class maybe postponed to1730hrs-1830hrs with the approval of the principal.

In order to keep the in-service officers abreast of the latest development in forestry, the college conducts a wide range of refresher courses of 2-3 weeks duration, leading to award of certificates.

Assessment

There are 4 categories of assessment that the trainees undergo during a course in SFS College. They are:

• End semester exams
• Tour exams and field exercise
• Internal Assessment (for award of conduct marks)
• Training in allied activities

End Semester Exam

The course is divided into four semesters. There shall be three such semesters during the first phase and one examination in the second phase.

The maximum marks for each subject shall be as follows:

At end of second phase, each OT will undergo a viva voce test before a panel of experts who shall evaluate his knowledge out of 200 marks.

Field Training

With the enforcement of the new Entrance and Training (Revised) Rules, 2004, the field training will be sandwiched between first phase (16 months) and second phase(four months) of the SFS Course. During these four months of ‘Field Training’ the ’Officer Trainees’ shall be attached to the following functionaries of the state for adequate exposure in matters of governance, general administration an forestry activities in this state

Forest Range Officers (Five Weeks)

Divisional Forest Officer (Five Weeks)

• Establishment Matters
• Office Management
• Budget
• Audit
• Legal Matters
• Coordination with district administration
• People’s participation, PRA, RRA, Agro Forestry, VFC

Forest Corporation (Two Weeks)

• Harvesting
• Logging
• Transport
• Depot Management
• Volume and Royalty Calculation
• Marketing

Revenue Authorities (One Weeks)

• Land Record
• Rural Development Programmes
• Cooperation
• Interaction

Law Enforcement Authorities in the District and Tehsil level (one Weeks)

• Enforcement of Laws and Policies
• Integrated Effort
• Follow up Actions

Public Prosecutor, Government Counsels (Two Weeks)

• Application of Law
• Filing of cases

The Divisional Forest Officer, with whom the ‘Officer Trainee’ is attached, shall be responsible for successful completion of ‘Field Training’. A total of 200 marks shall be earmarked for ‘Field Training’ of which the Divisional Forest Officer shall assess the OT for 100 marks. The college, on the basis of monitoring and feed back, shall assess for the remaining 100 marks.

Tour Exams and field exercises

There shall be five study tours during the whole training. After every tour, a tour exam quiz and symposium will be conducted besides submission of botanical collection and tour journal by the OTs. The distribution of marks for each tour is as follows:

Total marks for 5 tours 1000

Internal Assessment

Based on overall conduct, each OT shall be awarded conduct marks our of a maximum of 250 marks at the end of the course through internal assessment. The criteria shall be:

• Attendance
• Discipline
• Interpersonal relations with peers
• Interpersonal relations with faculty
• Extra curricular activities

Training in allied activities

Training is also imparted in some allied fields as listed below. These trainings do not contribute towards the preparation of final merit list. However, behaviour and seriousness that the trainee shows during such trainings is closely monitored. This, of course, influences the award of final conduct marks

• First Aid
• Weapon Training
• Motor Mechanics

Abstract of Marks for the course