Development and conservation can always go hand in hand: Vice President

Modern Scientific Forestry and Civilisational Wisdom Must Complement Each Other for India’s Sustainable Future: Vice President

Respect Knowledge of Communities Living with Forest Landscapes for Generations: Vice President

Measure your careers by forests restored, wildlife protected and communities whose trust you earned: Vice President while addressing IFS probationers in Dehradun

Vice President Shri C. P. Radhakrishnan today addressed the 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.

Congratulating the officer trainees, the Vice President said that 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, Shri 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.
The Vice President also highlighted the increasing participation of women in the forest services, noting that women constitute about 17 per cent of the present batch, describing it as an encouraging transformation and 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.

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.

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.