Dehradun: Hon’ble Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia of Supreme Court of India visited the Indira Gandhi National Forest Academy (IGNFA) on 15.11.2024 to deliver the annual P. Srinivas Memorial Lecture to the probationers of the 2023 batch of the Indian Forest Service (IFS). This lecture is named in honour of the late Sh. P. Srinivas, a renowned IFS officer of 1979 batch who sacrificed his life in the cause of forest conservation in 1991. In his efforts to capture the infamous poacher Veerappan, he was killed gruesomely by the latter. He was awarded the Kirti Chakra posthumously in 1992.
During the lecture, Justice Dhulia addressed the critical intersection of law, governance, and environmental stewardship. He emphasized the critical role that IFS officers play in the conservation and sustainable management of India’s forests and wildlife. Justice Dhulia also spoke about the importance of balancing development needs with environmental protection, urging the probationers to be mindful of the broader ecological impact of their decisions.
Drawing instances from his childhood & youth, Justice Dhulia cited examples of probity & integrity of officers who impacted his own life. Reminiscing Sh. R.S. Tolia, the first Chief Secretary of Uttarakhand state, Justice Dhulia encouraged the officers to approach their responsibilities with a sense of integrity, ethical conduct, and a deep understanding of the legal frameworks they operate within.
He urged the probationers to remain committed to both law enforcement and forest conservation efforts and called on the budding IFS officers to contribute to India’s environmental future with commitment, diligence, and a sense of justice.
Dr. Jagmohan Sharma, Director, IGNFA; Smt. Kanchan Devi, Director General, ICFRE; Shri Raj Kumar Bajpai, Additional Director, IGNFA, Shri Samir Sinha, PCCF, Uttarakhand dignitaries from various sister organisations including Forest Research Institute, Directorate of Forestry Education, Central Academy for State Forest Service, Forest Survey of India, Members from Judiciary and Bar Council of Uttarkhand; IFS Probationers of 2023 batch, faculty members and law students from UPES University Dehradun; faculty members and staff of Indira Gandhi National Forest Academy Dehradun remained present during the lecture.
