Students pursuing a Bachelor of Science (BSc.) in Forestry recently took to the streets of Shivamogga, Karnataka, on October 14th, to voice their strong demands. Their primary objective: to establish a BSc. in Forestry as the mandatory minimum qualification for pivotal roles within the Forest Department, including Assistant Conservator of Forests (ACF), Range Forest Officer (RFO), and Deputy Range Forest Officer (DRFO).
The protest saw students from the College of Agricultural Sciences at Iruvakki, Sagar taluk, organizing a march that culminated in front of the Deputy Commissioner’s office in the city.
The students highlighted a concerning shift in government policy over the years. They recalled that in 2003, the Karnataka government initially reserved 50% of ACF and RFO positions for forestry graduates. This reservation was notably increased to 75% in 2012, only to be scaled back to 50% in 2018. Further compounding their grievances, they pointed out that the administrative reforms commission, led by retired IAS officer T.M. Vijay Bhaskar, had advocated for filling DRFO positions primarily through internal promotions.
These policy changes had previously triggered protests from forestry students in 2024, leading the government to establish a committee tasked with reviewing their demands and submitting a report. However, the students lamented the lack of progress or any concrete developments since the committee’s formation.
The protesting students firmly believe that positions within the Forest Department should be exclusively reserved for them, given their three years of specialized study in forestry. They argue that it is illogical and unfair to deny them the opportunity to serve a department directly aligned with their academic expertise.