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Minister of Environment and Forests & President of the Indian Council of Forestry Research & Education (ICFRE) Thiru. A. Raja has disclosed that an Advance Center for Bamboos and Rattans (cane) will be set up at Aizawl, Mizoram.
Addressing the XIII Annual General Meeting of Indian Council of Forestry Research & Education (ICFRE) Society here today, Thiru. Raja said that the Government has already approved the establishment of the Center under the administrative control of Rain Forest Research Institute (RFRI), Jorhat, while adding “this was a long standing demand of the people of Mizoram, as nearly 49% of the State’s area is under Bamboos and Rattans, the highest in the country”.
The Minister also asked ICFRE to consider the establishment of the ‘National Bureau of Forest Genetic Resources’ on similar lines as the ‘National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources’ which would work exclusively on genetic resources collection, introduction, conservation and evaluation of forestry species and wild medicinal plants.
The Minister urged the ICFRE to take a much bigger role in coordinating forestry education in the country in consultation with UGC, Ministry of Environment and Forests and the Ministry of Human Resources Development for quality forestry education, which is very much essential for Research and Development in the forestry sector. Some collaborative programmes with renowned foreign universities can also be envisaged by ICFRE for regular exchange and up-gradation of forestry education, he added.
“The MOU signed between ICFRE and National Research Development Corporation (NRDC), New Delhi to render all possible assistance in the filing of Patent application both within the country and abroad for commercialization of the technologies developed by ICFRE is a desirable step to make ICFRE self-supporting and also for the protection of rights in view of the changing scenario at the international level”, he pointed out.
Observing that “human activities and biotic pressure on forests are depleting our forest genetic diversity at an unprecedented rate that has resulted in threats to food security and income opportunities of millions of the people”, Thiru. Raja emphasized the need for preserving forest diversity for rural people, farmers, foresters and breeders to manage forestry species with desired characteristics for the benefit of present and future generations.
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