Indian Institute of Forest Management

Indian Institute of Forest Management Bhopal
भारतीय वन प्रबन्धन संस्थान
Type Public Institute of Education and Research
Established 1982
Director Dr. Pankaj Srivastav, IFS
Postgraduates 93-PFM
Location India Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India
23°12′30″N 77°23′04″E / 23.2084°N 77.3844°E / 23.2084; 77.3844Coordinates: 23°12′30″N 77°23′04″E / 23.2084°N 77.3844°E / 23.2084; 77.3844
Campus 217 acres (0.88 km2)
Affiliations Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Governmernt of India
Website Official Website IIFM Alumni Website

The Indian Institute of Forest Management (IIFM) (founded 1982) is an autonomous, public institute of sectoral management located in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India, established by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India with financial assistance from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) and course assistance from the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad.[1] The institute's objective is to fulfill the growing need for the managerial human resource in the area of Forest, Environment, and Natural resources Management and allied sectors. The institute is headed by a director selected and appointed by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India.

IIFM is a premier national level institute engaged in education, research, training and consultancy in the area of Forest, Environment and Natural Resources Management and allied sectors. The institute was ranked 8th overall in the country by the Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India in the management institutions category under the National Institutional Ranking Framework in its India Rankings 2016.[2] As a campus IIFM is famous for its rich flora and fauna with sightings of various wild mammals and birds within the campus.

Location

IIFM Bhopal

The institute is located in the southernwest corner of the city of Bhopal in the Nehru Nagar locality . It is on a hill that overlooks the Bhadbhada barrage. The barrage controls the overflow of the upper lake or Bada Talab of Bhopal. The spillway for Bhadbhada tails around the IIFM hill, giving it a scenic location surrounded by water on three sides like a peninsula during good monsoons. The location is 3.5 km south of T.T. Nagar and just off the road to Kerwa Dam.

Architecture

IIFM 'Arc'

The architect of the institute's buildings is Anant Raje, who won a national award for architecture for the designs. The architect was inspired by the historical town of Mandu for his work at IIFM. One of the prominent feature of this architecture is a giant arc, as seen in the thumbnail.

Courses

IIFM conducts following courses:

  1. Post Graduate Diploma in Forest Management (PFM)
  2. M.Phil. in Natural Resource Management (MRM) and
  3. Fellow Program in Management (FPM) equivalent to Ph.D

The PFM course is the flagship course of IIFM and is one of its kind in Asia.

In addition to the above courses, it conducts Management Development programmes.

Post Graduate Diploma in Forest Management (PFM)

The PFM course was started in 1988. It is a two-year residential course. The first batch of PFM students graduated in 1990.

Admission

IIFM uses the scores of Common Admission Test (CAT) conducted by Indian Institutes of Management and the Xavier Aptitude Test (XAT) conducted by the XLRI to shortlist the candidates for the Written Aptitude Test and the Personal Interview. The shortlisted candidates are required to submit a Statement of Purpose (SOP) on why they want to pursue the PFM course at IIFM. After conducting the Written Aptitude Test and the Personal Interview the institute announces the final list of candidates provisionally selected for the course.[3]

Course design

PFM is a two-year fully residential post graduate level programme equivalent to Master's Degree in Forest Management. The course consist of 6 terms, one Summer Internship and 2 Field trips. There are 7 courses in each term until 4th term which is common to all the students. In the 5th and 6th term students have to choose either of the following specializations. The three major specialized modules offered are

It is compulsory for each student to have a Major specialization and but they can opt to either have Minor specialization or not.

Major Specialization

A student can have single or dual specialization. A student has to opt for one major specialization by opting minimum 8.0 credit courses in total (4.0 credit compulsory and remaining 4.0 credit electives courses, from major specialization area, offered during terms V and VI). The total credit to be taken in the V and VI terms is 6.0 credits each.

Minor Specialization

A student can also have a minor specialization by opting 4.0 credit courses from available compulsory/elective courses of the module chosen. The choice of opting for minor specialization rests with the students.

The Diploma

The diploma will be given in major specialization like PFM (with specialized package in DM). The minor specialization will not be mentioned on the diploma, but it can be mentioned on transcript.

Classroom Sessions Per Course

The students are required to complete 43 credits including one credit for fieldwork and two credits for Summer Internship. A one-credit course is of 30 classroom sessions of one hour each and half credit course is of fifteen classroom sessions of one hour each. Each credit course requires from a student about 100 hours of work, inside and outside the classroom.

Students may also be asked to attend workshops/seminars/special lectures.

The M.Phil in Natural Resource Management (MRM)

IIFM being a specialized institute started the M.Phil program in 1994, to create future global leaders in field of Environment and Natural resources sector. In this course an integrative approach is used where students learn how to develop local solutions that are sustainable, ethical and scalable at global level

The minimum qualification for all candidates is Post Graduate degree/diploma in the field of Science/Engineering/ Management and related Social sciences or its equivalent with a minimum of 55% aggregate marks recognized by an Indian University or Association of Indian Universities (AIU). The relaxation of 5% marks at the Masters Degree (P.G) eligibility criterion shall be given to candidates belonging to SC/ST/DA category as per the guidelines of UGC.

For in-service category, Officers from Indian Forest Service, State Forest Services, Group ‘A’ Officers or equivalent from Govt. Departments/Public Sector and representatives from NGOs with minimum three years of experience in the fields related to natural resource management can apply.

For open category candidates written test and an interview is conducted. The written test has three components namely English ability, Analytical ability and Natural Resource Management aptitude. The Institute shall set a cutoff limit for the written examination. Candidates qualifying the written test shall be invited for the interview. Based on the performance in the interview a merit list of suitable candidates will be released for admission. The UGC/CSIR/ICAR- NET qualified candidates and candidates with PGDFM from IIFM with a minimum of 3.0 OGPA are exempted from written test and are directly called for interview.

The programme consist of (i) core courses (ii) special components in the form of field study tours, seminars, panel discussions and experiential presentations and (iii) Dissertation, which is the centre stage of the program. The course lays emphasis on self-growth through seminars, fieldwork, case studies, and class room discussions. The classroom sessions are designed to provide basic knowledge and practical understanding of concepts, tools and techniques in Natural Resource Management.

Core Courses

The core courses provides the theoretical underpinning, conceptual and analytical tools and fundamentals on which subsequent parts of the M.Phil Programme are to be built. These include courses on ICT and E-Governance, Management of Natural Resources, SFM and Forest Certification, Livelihood and Biodiversity Management, Elements of Climate Change, Research Methods, Environmental Impact Assessment, Civil Society & Corporate Environment Responsibility, Geo- informatics, Integrated Water Resource Management and Extension Methods. These courses strengthen the understanding of students on Natural Resource Management in general and climate change in particular.

Special Components

Study tour

Students are given field exposure through study tour once at one of the sites where work related to Natural Resource Management is going on. The purpose of the study tour shall be to expose and sensitize the participants to the conditions prevailing in natural resource management sector. This helps in developing linkage between theory and practice and improves their ability to analyze the situations.

The field study shall provide an opportunity to examine various natural resource management policies that are being implemented in India and their impact on environment and people. They will also examine the interplay of various forces and their implications in the delivery of Governmental Programmes. Participants will visit identified areas in the country and be exposed to the real life situations in the field of Natural Resource Management

Special Lectures/ Panel Discussions/ Experiential Presentations

In order to address both national and international development and challenges in the areas and contemporary Issues such as reforms in Natural Resource Governance; Global Environmental and Ecological Crisis; Climate Change; Environmental Concerns; Sustainable Development; Livelihood and Biodiversity; Disaster Management and related subjects, efforts are made to organize in house workshops/seminars to provide a forum to discuss and debate these issues within the institute as well as with eminent scholars and practitioners.

The candidates from time to time shall also give seminar on the chosen topics to share his /her experience & learning of issues related to natural resource management to a panel of Faculty, invited external experts and students of other programme. The presentation also revolve around innovations in policy formulation, project planning and implementation etc either at the field level or regional or National level.

These are mostly student driven activity with the support of faculty members & improve the skill of advocacy, presentation and communication skills of the participants.

Dissertation

The dissertation component shall occupy the centre stage in the M. Phil. Programme. Participants are expected to undertake a thorough literature review of the chosen subject area, make an in-depth analysis of a specific problem and examine its ramifications. The research proposal outlining the research questions and the methodology to be adopted would constitute the first stage. The proposal will then be presented to a panel of experts and participants for suggestions/ comments. The topic for the dissertation will be finalized after the research proposal is approved by the concerned supervisor. Participants would be encouraged to start working on their dissertations as early as possible.

The participants shall be making a substantial contribution to the theory and practice of natural resource management in area of their interest and demonstrate their analytical skills in the process.

The thesis work should be carried out under the guidance and supervision of a faculty member of the Institute. However co-supervisor can be opted from either IIFM or other organizations.

Future prospects of M.Phil. NRM from IIFM-Bhopal

Institute makes efforts and extends support to the students for building their professional career. The programme equips students with knowledge and skill to start a career in: Development sector and contribute significantly in improving livelihood opportunities like eco-tourism etc., health, education, infrastructure etc. Managing Natural Resources by way of conserving and protecting scare resources like wildlife, water, non- renewable energy resources, application of renewable energyhttp://iifm.ac.in/m-phil/

Placement

Most of the job placements at IIFM are with the environment and development sector with NGOs, though recently a number of banks and microfinance institutions have participated in campus placements. Apart from it Corporate also participate in IIFM Placements and profiles are offered in Sales & Marketing, Market research, Banking & Finance, Environment, Health and Safety, Environment Management System, Consulting roles, Operations etc with an average package of 6.93 lacs per annum in academic year 2017-2018.[4]

IIFM and its alumni work closely with national and international civil society, governments, academia and industry.

Ranking

Institute rankings

IIFM was ranked 8 among management colleges in India by the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) in 2016.

Notable alumni[5]

IIFM Alumni in Development & Financial Inclusion

Society for Elimination of Rural Poverty(SERP), UNFCCC, ACCESS Development Services, Lupin Foundation, Tribal Welfare Deptt-Govt. of A.P, RBS Foundation, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, World Bank, Financial Inclusion Network and Operations(FINO), SEWA Mandir, Rajiv Education and Employment Mission of Andhra Pradesh, UNDP, NABARD Consultancy Services Pvt. Ltd., BRLPS, UNFPA (United Nations Population Fund), MSRLM, Asian Development Bank(ADB), ORLP, Young Professional-Ministry of Rural Development, DFID, Prime Minister's Rural Development Fellow (PMRDF)-MoRD, Aide et Action etc.

IIFM Alumni in Environment & Wild Life

Deloitte, The Energy and Resources Institute, M.P.Seed Development Corporation, Ambuja Cements Ltd- Environment Division, Centre for Environment Education (CEE), Environment & Forest Department-Government of Bihar, Sampark World Wide India Foundation, Gujarat State Watershed Management Agency, Gujarat Ecology Commission, Inspectorate Griffith India Private, InsPIRE Network for Environment, Gujarat State Watershed Management Agency, Ernst & Young, Wildlife Trust of India (WTI), EcoCapita, Iora Ecological Solutions, BASIX group, WWF, Earth Care Consultants, M.P forest department, Uttarakhand Biodiversity Board, MP Eco- Development Board, UNDP, USAID etc.

IIFM Alumni in Research

IFMR-Centre for Development Finance, Institute for Resource Analysis and Policy, Joint Global Change Research Institute, Genpact, Pathfinder International, The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), IMRB International, Smart Cube, N R Management Consultants, IIM Lucknow Fellow Programme in Management, Sambodhi Research & Communications Pvt. Ltd., The Nielsen Company etc.

IIFM Alumni in Forestry

Madhya Pradesh Forest Department, JK Paper Ltd, Aditya Birla Group, Birla Lao Pulp & Plantation, Wood Supply Chain & Plantations, Raw Materials at Greenply Industries ltd, Grasim Industries Ltd, BILT, Renewable Woods, Olam International, ITC Bhadrachalam etc.

IIFM Alumni in Management Consulting

Ernst & Young, KPMG, Deloitte, Intellecap, Mircosave, NR Management Consultants, Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services Limited(IL&FS), SENES Consultants India Pvt., EXL Service, Deloitte, McKinsey & Company, DenuoSource, Wipro Consulting, GIZ etc.

IIFM Alumni are not only working in these organizations, but have also continuously pursued specializations from various well known universities and institutes which include University of Alberta(Environment), University of Nottingham, University of Cambridge, University of Oxford, University of California-Berkeley, The University of Manchester, University of Aegean-Greece, Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, London School of Economics, IIM Lucknow and many others.

Entrepreneurs from IIFM

IIFM has produced many social entrepreneurs. Some of them are:

  • Mr. Manoj Dabas, Founder, Center for Urban Green Spaces [6]
  • Mr. Jayesh Bhatia, Founding Director, NRM Consultants [7]
  • Mr. Vineet Rai, Founder and CEO, Intellecap and Aavishkaar Venture Management Service[8]
  • Mr. Paul Basil, Founder and CEO, Villgro Innovations Foundation.[9]
  • Mr. Vijay Pratap Singh Aditya, Founder and CEO, Ekgaon Technologies Pvt Limited[10]
  • Mr. Amit Jain, Co-Founder, E-health Point [11]
  • Mr. Tanmay Chetan, Co-Founder, Agora Microfinance [12]
  • Mr. Rahul Bisht, Co-founder, M2I Consulting [13]
  • Mr. Swapan Mehra, Founder and CEO, Iora Ecological Solutions[14]
  • Mr. Jaspal Shakya, Co-Founder and CEO, OpportuneJobs.com[15]
  • Mr. Bhomik Shah, Founder and CEO, NGOBox.com [16]
  • Mr. P. Naveen Kumar, Founder and CEO, Sudiksha Knowledge Solutions, "Sudiksha Kids" [17]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "History of Indian Institute of Forest Management". Iifm.ac.in. Retrieved 2012-09-18.
  2. ↑ National Institutional Ranking Framework
  3. ↑ http://www.iifm.ac.in/pgdfm
  4. ↑ http://www.iifm.ac.in/pgdfm
  5. ↑ http://www.iifmalumni.org
  6. ↑ http://www.cugs.in
  7. ↑ http://nrmcindia.co.in/index.php/about-us/senior-management-team
  8. ↑ http://www.aavishkaar.in/people/
  9. ↑ http://www.villgro.org/index.php/menpaul
  10. ↑ http://www.ekgaon.com/team
  11. ↑ http://ehealthpoint.com/?page_id=1106
  12. ↑ http://www.amil.co.in/#!board-of-directors/cy7t
  13. ↑ http://m2iconsulting.com/team/rahul-bist
  14. ↑ http://www.ioraecological.com/team.html
  15. ↑ http://www.opportunejobs.com/about_us.html?team=Founders&tId=1
  16. ↑ http://www.ngobox.org/about_ngobox.php#
  17. ↑ http://www.sudiksha.in/about.aspx
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