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Educating an Environmental Elite: The Training of the Indian Forest Service

Hannam, Kevin

Authors

Kevin Hannam



Abstract

The Indian Forest Service is an elite environmental civil service and in this paper I analyse the current education and training which a member of the Indian Forest Service receives. Following a discussion of my ethnographic research methodology, I demonstrate that the training of the Indian Forest Service instils a hierarchical, authoritarian culture which prevents the new, more sensitive forest policies such as Joint Forest Management (JFM) from being implemented. The actual work that the forest officer is expected to undertake may have changed beyond recognition, but the recruitment and training methods have not and remain more concerned with maintaining the esprit de corps of the service. Re-training courses for personnel are currently being held at the National Institute of Rural Development in Hyderabad but many more are needed. I conclude by recommending that new Indian Forest Service probationers need to be taught less discipline and more social sensitivity in line with their changing role.

Citation

Hannam, K. (2000). Educating an Environmental Elite: The Training of the Indian Forest Service. International Research in Geographical and Environmental Education, 9(4), 285-295. https://doi.org/10.1080/10382040008667661

Journal Article Type Article
Online Publication Date Mar 29, 2010
Publication Date 2000-08
Deposit Date Aug 2, 2016
Journal International Research in Geographical and Environmental Education
Print ISSN 1038-2046
Electronic ISSN 1747-7611
Publisher Routledge
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 9
Issue 4
Pages 285-295
DOI https://doi.org/10.1080/10382040008667661
Keywords Education, training, business management,
Public URL http://researchrepository.napier.ac.uk/Output/322595



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