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Joining the forest department- 23-Oct-2009
The forest officer job, which is popularly known as forest ranger is a dream job for many youngsters.
Today, environmental damage and its counter effects are widely talked around the world.
The forest department plays an important role in protecting the natural environment. Global warming, deforestation, changes in the global temperature, water scarcity and environmental catastrophe have a close relationship with forest resources. Presently, the awareness about this is good among the people.
The forest officer post would be aptly suitable for those who show interest and involvement in protecting the forest, birds and animals. Apart from controlling the forest, the person who works as a ranger, has responsibility of protecting the forest.
The persons joining this job are provided with rigorous training on all possible incidents that could happen in the forest area. The ranger supervises activities like fabricating timber for the construction of houses, organizing special camps, fieldwork, construction works, planting trees, managing nursery, safety of the timber in timber mills, exporting the timber to foreign countries, safeguarding the trees through special markings and takes care of other frontline jobs.
The age fixed for applicants of this job varies from state to state. Persons between 18 to 30 years of age usually can join this department.
It is obligatory to posses an under graduation degree in natural science, Mathematics, Geology, Statistics, Engineering or agriculture to work as a forest officer. The selection of a forest officer is based on competitive exams. General knowledge and English is an essential subject for this exam. Several states pursue the method of having two optional subjects for the competitive examination.
The forest department conducts the selection process in two stages. Initially a written examination and then followed by a physical fitness test. This particular department requires both intelligence as well as good physical condition.
The competitive exam comprises of 50 questions each in General knowledge, English, Mathematics to be completed in 150 minutes. All the questions carry equal marks. The students who have passed the competitive exams go further for the second stage examinations, the physical fitness test.
The male candidates should have a minimum height of 163 cm and a chest measurement of 84 cm, with an expansion of 5 cm. The female applicants should have a height of 150 cm and a chest measurement of 79 cm with an expansion of 5cm.
Apart from this, the male applicant should be capable of walking 25 Km in 4 hours and the female candidate capable of walking 16 Km in the same time for 4 hours, which is also a part of the physical examination.
As told earlier, it is necessary to posses good mental agility and good physical fitness to work in this department. This field contains many challenges. In this department, though, starting as a Ranger, there are possibilities of reaching to the post of Assistant Chief conservator of Forest. To those who wish to lead a constrained life in the forest leaving behind hectic urban life this department provides complete job satisfaction.
Where do study? Those willing to work as a forest officer can pursue the courses and research studies provided through various agricultural universities in India.
