Government plans to rename Indian Forest Service ahead of 2019 election

NEW DELHI: Ahead of parliamentary elections, the Centre has proposed another pro-tribal measure – renaming of the Indian Forest Service as Indian Forest and Tribal Service.

The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) has initiated an inter-ministerial consultation note to rename the service and also train its cadre to be more receptive towards tribals and forest dwellers.

The move follows a directive from the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) to this effect, said people aware of the matter. NCST concluded at a full commission meeting that the Indian Forest Service had long been at loggerheads with tribals, with whom IFS cadre is in close contact.


“Forest Service officials have always been the first point of government contact for tribals. But there is no awareness among the service officials on the different problems,” said a senior NCST official, who did not wish to be identified. “In fact, tribals often complain of harassment like not being allowed to carry out their headloads of minor forest produce.”