The Britishers had established a Forest Research Institute at Dehradun in 1906, which later became the Forest Research Institute of India. Today it is a Deemed to be University and an apex centre of excellence for imparting trainings, education and research among the staffers associated with Forests in India.
Accordingly at the state-level, Kashmir Forest Training School (KFTS) was established in 1911 during the regime of Maharaja Hari Singh for imparting training to staff associated with the forests of Jammu and Kashmir. The objective was to efficiently protect the forest wealth in the state besides ensure better supervision and execution of various plans, projects and schemes in the Forest Department.
The KFTS is one of the primer institutions in the state and is located in Chitternar in north Kashmir’s Bandipore district, inside a beautiful canopy of coniferous forests, and under the lap of Khuihama Range Forests comprising an area of 237 hectares in Sindh Forest Division.
The KFTS is located 3 Kms North East of Bandipore District and 59 kms from Srinagar City. It is situated at latitude 34°.25' North and longitude 74°.30' East at an elevation of 5200 feet above sea level. The KFTS—which is the backbone of discipline in various in-service cadres of the Forest Department—is infusing vigor, enthusiasm, degree of perfection and sense of protection and responsibility in various cadres like Range Officers (Grade 2nd), Foresters, Deputy Foresters, SFC Supervisors, Forest Guards and Motivators right from 1911. So it has acted as cradle for training the raw staffers for years together.
A British Forester, Mr. Steane had brought the seeds of Oak from Britain and had sown the acorns of Oak (Quercus dilatata) in the rows of the school. He had developed well established sizable plantation stripe of Oak tress in the west direction of the school and these towering tress are attraction to visitors.
At the national level, Indian Council of Forest Research and Education (ICFRE) is the mother organization under the patronage of Ministry of Environment and Forests (Government of India). At present, under the Umbrella of ICFRE there are a number of institutes and research centers. However J&K, having identity of ancient forest schooling, was ignored.
We must get serious about the development of human resource, research, planning and preservation of Green Gold in Jammu and Kashmir for maintenance of sensitivity its biosphere and fragile ecosystem. Therefore it is right time for authorities, celebrating 100 years of the school’s establishment (Platinum jubilee), to ponder over the up-gradation of the school so that its lost glory is restored. It should be upgraded and named as Forest Research Institute of Education and Trainings (KFROST) with the affiliation of Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education Dehradun and recognition from the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India.

Lastupdate on : Sun, 16 Jan 2011 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Sun, 16 Jan 2011 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Mon, 17 Jan 2011 00:00:00 IST