10 THE WORK OF THE FOREST DEPARTMENT IN INDIA. - 



Forests, Chief Conservators, Conservators, Deputy- 

 and Assistant Conservators. The Officers of this, 

 service are recruited in the United Kingdom, the 

 present system of recruitment being by selection 

 subject to the possession of an honours degree in 

 some branch of Natural Science of an English, Welsh 

 or Irish University, or of the B.Sc. degree in Pure 

 Science of a Scottish University. Probationers are 

 trained at a University possessing a forest school 

 approved by the Secretary of State (Oxford, Cam- 

 bridge and Edinburgh at present), this training, 

 being supplemented by a practical course, chiefly on 

 the continent of Europe. 



(2) The Provincial Service with a total personnel of 231 



officers* consisting of Extra Deputy and Extra 

 Assistant Conservators. Officers for this service are 

 recruited in India and trained at the Forest Research 

 Institute, Dehra Dun, though a certain number of 

 posts in this service are filled by the promotion of 

 specially promising Eangers. 



(3) The Subordinate Service consisting of Forest Rangers 



(about 760), Deputy Rangers (about 850), Foresters 

 (about 2,000) and Forest Guards (about 10,500). 

 The Rangers are at present trained at three different 

 centres — the Forest College at Dehra Dun (for pro- 

 vinces other than Burma and Madras), the Burma 

 Forest School at Pyinmana (for Burma) and the 

 Madras Forest College at Coimbatore (for Madras). 

 These three institutions were established in 1878, 

 1898 and 1912 respectively. A scheme is now 

 under consideration for the further decentraliza- 

 tion of the training of Rangers, and it is probable 

 that before long the number of training centres will 

 be increased. The training of subordinates below 

 the rank of Ranger is carried out in various local 

 forest schools and training classes. 



* On the Ist July 1916. 



