SylbV01-00-00. pmd

Preamble
The world of Forestry is changing rapidly. The multi-valuable nature of forests is gaining
wider recognition, thus, leading to increased understanding of the linkage between forests
and society. Forests are significant to the well being of society providing multiple services
and products 
i.e.
tangible and intangible. Moreover, in the present era of climate change,
our forests are crucial not only for supplying various products and services but also for
ensuring a healthy environment. From providing livelihood security to generating business
ventures; from being sources of rich biodiversity to carbon resources, the usefulness of
forests to humankind indeed is wide-ranging. Forest as a commodity is to be managed
scientifically to enhance its production and productivity and protection of environment as
well as sustenance of our agriculture. Higher Forestry education has an important role to
play in the future of the world’s forests. The future decision makers; the students of today;
will need to possess adequate skills to be able to meet the future challenges.
To produce high degree competence and skill oriented world class forestry professionals,
Forestry education needs to be reoriented so as to meet the challenges of high forest
productivity and global market along with eco-friendly environment.
The State Agricultural Universities undertake Forestry education with unique facilities
and linkage between agriculture, horticulture, animal husbandry and forestry. To make
the undergraduate degree programme more relevant and skill oriented quality education,
the 5
th
Deans Committee of ICAR, New Delhi revised the B.Sc. Forestry programme with
introduction of students’ READY programme to develop entrepreneur skills among the
Forestry students.
In India, Forestry education was introduced at the University level by starting M.Sc.
Forestry in 1976 at Dr YS Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni (HP).
Thereafter, many Agriculture Universities started UG, PG and Ph.D. programme in Forestry
with the directive of MoEF and ICAR. Today, about 50 institutes of State/ Central/ Private
University in 21 states of the country are offering different degree programmes in Forestry.
The existing single M.Sc. Forestry programme is quite inadequate to meet the present and
envisaged human resource requirement. Further, at present, PG degree in Forestry is being
awarded under different nomenclatures by various Universities as per their own convenience,
and no common courses are given to students for the same degree at M.Sc. or Ph.D level. In
order to bring uniformity in the system of imparting Forestry education at University level,
ICAR, New Delhi (5
th
Dean’s Committee) recommended that each University which offers
B.Sc programme in Forestry should have four departments namely: Silviculture and
Agroforestry, Forest Biology and Tree Improvement, Forest Products and Utilization and
Forest Resource Management.
The BSMA Committee on Forestry has been constituted by National Core Group (ICAR)
to re-structure the M.Sc. and Ph.D programme in Forestry in accordance to the changes
made in B.Sc. Forestry curriculum by 5
th
Dean’s Committee, ICAR, New Delhi. In order to
bring excellence in teaching and research at Master’s and Ph.D. levels and making the
degrees more professional and saleable, the core courses have been offered in those fields
where opportunities are very high for employability and for development of entrepreneurship.
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Restructured and Revised Syllabi of Post-graduate Programmes
Vol. 1
522
The BSMA Committee for Forestry organized two meetings at College of Forestry,
Dr Y.S. Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni, Solan and College of
Agriculture, CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Hissar (Haryana), respectively, and a
two-day workshop at College of Forestry, Dr Balasahib Swant Konkan Krishi Vidyaapeeth,
Dapoli, Maharastra with participation from Agricultural Universities and other stakeholders
from industries, State Forest Departments to develop the curricula. The envisaged M.Sc.
and Ph.D. programmes have been restructured along with inclusion of new courses on
important global issues like climate change, Biodiversity conservation, information
technology, GIS, etc.
 
in the syllabi. These M.Sc. and Ph.D. programmes are as follows:
1. Silviculture and Agroforestry (SAF)
2. Forest Biology and Tree Improvement (FBTI)
3. Forest Products and Utilization (FPU)
4. Forest Resource Management (FRM)
It is a belief of BSMA Committee on Forestry that the restructured PG academic
programme including uniform degree nomenclature, course curricula and syllabi would
prove ideal for generating world class professionals, human resource competent enough to
meet the global challenges and competitiveness in Forestry and enhance their employability
both in public and private sectors.