Two Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) were signed, here today, by Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE), Dehradun, with Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti (NVS) and Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS). ICFRE is an autonomous Council under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. The MoUs have been signed to launch the programme “PRAKRITI” with the objective to promote awareness about forests and environment, to stimulate interest among the students of NVS and KVS in maintaining a balanced environment and for acquiring skills that reflect care and protection towards forests, environment and society. Another objective is to provide a platform to school children to learn practical skills towards judicious use of our resources and to mobilize a cadre of youth for raising a peoples’ movement committed to conservation of forest and environment.Through this collaboration, knowledge will be imparted to students/teachers of NVS and KVS on environment, forest, environmental services and contemporary areas of forestry research by way of lectures and interactive sessions by scientists of ICFRE institutes. Visits of students/teachers of NVS and KVS schools will also be arranged to the laboratories and field/experiments of ICFRE institutes for hands-on experiences.The MoUs, signed for a period of 10 years are expected to make the youth of the country sensitive about national and global issues of environment and forests and help them to become responsible citizens.
ICFRE, through its nine Institutes and five Centres located across the country, is guiding, promoting and coordinating forestry research, extension and education at the national level. Currently ICFRE is focusing on contemporary issues of national and international importance particularly in the areas of climate change, forest productivity, biodiversity conservation and skill development.Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti was established with the primary objective to provide modern quality education to talented children, predominantly from the rural areas, without regard to their family’s socio-economic condition. At present, it has 660 functional residential schools. Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan was established in 1963 to provide uninterrupted education to wards of the transferable Central Government employees. KVS established Kendriya Vidyalayas all over the country to impart quality education, promotion of national integration, adventure activities, physical education etc.The MoU was signed in the presence of Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC), Shri C.K. Mishra, Director General Forests and Special Secretary, MoEF&CC, Shri Siddhanta Das and other senior officers. The MoUs were signed by Director General, ICFRE, Dehradun, Dr. S. C. Gairola, Commissioner, NVS Shri B.K. Singh and Commissioner, KVS Shri Santosh Kumar Mall.