Indira Gandhi National Forest Academy (IGNFA) was established in the year 1987 by renaming the erstwhile Indian Forest College, which was originally established in 1938 for training senior forest officers. It is situated in the New Forest campus of Forest Research Institute (FRI) on Chakrata Road (NH-72),five kilometers from Dehradun town. IGNFA is currently functioning as a Staff College for the officers of the Indian Forest Service (IFS).
The primary mandate of the Academy is to impart knowledge and skills to the professional foresters and help them to develop competence for managing the country forest and wildlife resources on a sustainable basis. In the Academy training is provided at different levels of seniority in the Indian Forest Service besides training the new entrants to the service.
IFS Training Comes Home to India (1926-1932)
On 5th May 1926, through Resolution no. 436, the creation of the Indian Forest Service Training College was granted official recognition. Just a few months later, on 1st November 1926, the training of foresters was finally brought home to India. The venue chosen for the IFS College was the Imperial Forest Research Institute (FRI), in Dehradun. The new course would be a 2 year program, and diplomas were awarded to candidates who successfully completed it. The job of supervising the training was given to the President of FRI, and he was to be assisted by a Professor of Forestry and instructors. C. G. Trevor, who was Conservator of Forests for the Working Plans Circle of the United Provinces, was posted as Vice President of FRI in order to assist in the development of the new IFS Training College. He was also named Professor of Forestry, and was assisted by two other instructors.
The IFC's Facilities and Administration
The IFC was housed in the Forest Research Institute building in the New Forest Campus at Dehradun. The upper floor of the southwest, wing of the building served as the IFC campus. Ther were two lecture rooms, a good biologica laboratory, access to a good chemical laboratory, the Principal's office room and one Students' Common room. The IFC also enjoyed free access to the museum, herbarium, laboratories and workshops o FRI, which formed an integral part of the college programme. The central library o FRI was also made available to the IFC students while the college's own library started in a common room with an assortment of books of science, travel, biographies, novels, etc., mostly gifted by officers at New Forest and United Province.
The administrative leadership of the IFC was provided by the Inspector General of Forests and President of FRI and Colleges. Under him was a Professor of Forestry cum Principal and a lecturer in Survey and Engineering. These were joined by research officers serving as lecturers in their areas of expertise in Botany, Entomology, Biochemistry, Utilisation and Silviculture.
Page Last Updated: 07-04-2026 03:40 PM
