The  issues faced by Forestry students throughout India due to ambiguous definition of agriculture issued by Policy Division of Department of Agriculture & Cooperation. The policy Division included four year degree in agroforestry in the definition of agriculture instead of  forestry.

In ICAR education system, no where four year agroforestry degree is awarded, its Forestry degree. where as agroforestry is the  major subject  of forestry degree . Due to this ambiguous definition of agriculture, IBPS is not allowing forestry students for interview for the posts of Agriculture Field Officer .

The case is relates to disqualification at the interview stage of the Bsc (Hons.) Forestry graduates who appeared in the IBPS Specialist Officer examination on February 15th  2015 by the IBPS on the ground that they do not possess a bachelor's degree in Agroforestry ,in this connection ,it may be pertinent to note that since 1990's, the Banking service Recruitment Board ( BSRB) considered Bsc Hons ( forestry ) as a eligible qualification for the post of Agriculture field officer in nationalised banks .whereas they are allowing Bsc ( Hons) Forestry for Agriculture officer in IBPS RRBs Specialist officer http://www.ibps.in/cwe-rrb-iv/

It may also be noted that during all the previous years when the eligibility stated that was Bsc (Agroforestry) the Bsc(Hons.) Forestry graduates were allowed to participate in the selection procedure and many are presently employed in various banks in the capacity of Agriculure field officer.

Given that no four year bachelour's programme in agroforestry is available in the country and comprehensive coverage of agroforestry subject matter is in the ICAR approved syllabus for Bsc ( Forestry ),which is being implemented in the SAUs, what is being offered by SAUs is a four year bachelor's degree in Forestry in which agroforestry is taught as a significant component.The relative proportion of agriculture and forestry ( including agroforestry ) courses in the curriculum of four year Bsc ( forestry ) is 42.5 and 57.5% respectively.this is accordance with the IV Deans' Commitee report of ICAR/DARE on curriculum of Forestry programme.

It will be appropriate that Bsc ( Forestry ) graduates are also considered for the position of Agriculture field officer in banks .

Forestry students have very limited scope for job and if they are not allowed
for these posts, their career will be seriously affected. Hon'ble
Finance Minister and other dignitaries may kindly consider the issues
 on behalf of forestry students in the natural justice.and also consider for next year advertisement of IBPS specialist examination 2015-16.

Sign my petition