The Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE) based in Dehradun, has approved 90 new projects for the year 2015-16 in addition to 114 on-going projects across its institutes. This and various other issues were discussed in the annual meeting of the council presided over by the Minister of Environment, Forests and Climate Change Prakash Javadekar in New Delhi on Wednesday.
Officials of the ICFRE averred that the council has been working towards its aim of holistic development of forestry research through need based planning, promoting, conducting and coordinating research, education and extension covering all aspects of forestry. Officials said that in order to facilitate quality research, the council has approved 90 new projects for the year 2015-16 in addition to 114 on-going projects across its institutes. Besides this, a total of 139 externally aided projects/consultancies are being undertaken currently.
listing the council's achievements, focus was elicited on the development and release of bio-pesticide formulation 'Crawl Clean' and 'Tricho - K' for eco- friendly management of various insect pests. The other achievements of the council were stated to be filing of provisional patent on “New Composition of Soap” – a formulation based on forest tree borne oil-seed species Givotia rottleriformis- that has medicinal value and is useful in treating skin diseases and development of an accessory that aids in delivery of genes/other molecules into plant tissues for enabling very cost effective biolistic delivery of molecules into plants and trees apart from development and release of a number of clones of Eucalyptus, Poplar and Casuarina trees by the ICFRE. In addition to preparing the detailed project report on forestry interventions for the Ganga, the council has also been engaged in environmental assessment of hydro-power projects, preparation of rehabilitation and reclamation plans with 111 reports being submitted to the Supreme Court’s central empowered committee so far.
ICFRE has also brought out its anti-plagiarism policy to minimise academic and scientific misconduct borne out of plagiarism and to create a plagiarism free academic and research environment in the council. ICFRE has also finalised and notified Intellectual Property Management Policy of the council for governing the generation and management of intellectual property emanating from ICFRE and its various institutes and for protecting its technologies under Indian and other applicable foreign intellectual property laws, and commercialising them in a manner focused on public welfare. Council officials claimed that techniques for rapidly generating transgenic roots on non- transgenic shoots had been developed to enable quick screening of genes. This has potential application in development of plant varieties tolerant to drought, salt and flooding stress that would lead to improved rural livelihood. The Director General of Forests and special secretary in the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, Dr Sharad Singh Negi, ICFRE DG Ashwani Kumar and other departmental officials were also among those present in the annual meeting of the council.