About College
The Forest College and Research Institute (FC & RI) is located at Mettupalayam in the sylvan surroundings of Jakanari Reserved Forest, about 40 km north of Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) main campus, Coimbatore. It is situated over a sprawling expanse of 200 ha of reserved forest, located of the foothills of Nilgiris on the Kotagiri road. The college is perched at an altitude of 300 m with a longitude of 11.19’N, latitude of 77.56’E and enjoys an annual rainfall of 830 mm. The mean maximum and minimum temperature are 32.2°C and 23.2°C respectively.The Forest College and Research Institute (FC & RI) is located at Mettupalayam in the sylvan surroundings of Jakanari Reserved Forest, about 40 km north of Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) main campus, Coimbatore. It is situated over a sprawling expanse of 200 ha of reserved forest, located of the foothills of Nilgiris on the Kotagiri road. The college is perched at an altitude of 300 m with a longitude of 11.19’N, latitude of 77.56’E and enjoys an annual rainfall of 830 mm. The mean maximum and minimum temperature are 32.2°C and 23.2°C respectively.
url:
college-fcri-mettupalayam/wp-content/uploads/sites/65/2020/01/FOREST-COLLEGE-1.pdf
Genesis
Realizing the pivotal role the forests play in the economic prosperity and ecological stability of a country, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University started as early as in 1973 a full – fledged department of Forestry as a forerunner to a college of forestry. Though mandated then to carry out research in agroforestry, plantation forestry and exotic forestry the department also assumed the onus of offering a course in agroforestry to the B.Sc. (Agri.) and B.Sc. (Hort.) degree programmes, with drift of time and the concomitant multiplication of problems encountered by the State Forest Departments, Tree Growing Farmers and Wood based industries, the need for enlarging the education and research base was keenly felt. To sub-serve these needs a forest research Station encompassing an area of 200 ha was started in February 1976 as an adjunct to the Department of Forestry in the sylvan surroundings of a reserve forest at Mettupalayam. The station has since been elevated to the status of Forest College and Research Institute in 1990 with the triple mandate of teaching, research and outreach activities
Mandate
Education
- To impart education in forestry to students and produce able forest administrators and self-sustaining entrepreneurs.
- To undertake research on basic and applied aspects of forestry and to evolve technologies to enhance forest productivity.
- To impart training and to offer consultancy to tree farmers non-government organization and departmental functionaries.
Vision
- To attain Global Excellence in Forestry Education & Research towards creation of professional man power to cater the needs of Production, processing and Conservation of forest Resources.
Mission
- To establish a center of excellence in Forestry Education to cater the professional man power of the country.
- To conserve , protect and rehabilitate the natural forest ecosystem through Innovative scientific inventions.
- To develop varieties for high yielding and short rotation towards meeting the domestic and Industrial Requirement.
- To develop good forest practices for productivity enhancement in trees.
- To augment the productivity and profitability through multi functional Agroforestry systems for Farming Community.
- To ensure Supply and value chain Management of timber and non-timber Forest Resources.
- To Coordinate and create partnership among stake holders institutions towards improvement, production and conservation of forest resources.
Goal
- Improvement, Utilization and conservation of forest genetic Resources.
- Enhancing productivity of timber and non timber yielding species through precision silvicultural practices on an ecofriendly manner.
- Creation of self reliance in nutritional and good security through Multi functional agro forestry systems.
- Development of technologies for wood product utilization and the associated value addition process.
- Promotion of effective collaboration and communication among public agencies and private industries towards production , processing conservation and sustainable utilization of forest genetic resources.
- Ensuring the tree and forest cover increase towards sustainability and climate mitigation process.
Brief chronology of events
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1973
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Ensuring Establishment of Department of Forestry at TNAU, Coimbatore. |
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1976
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Inception of a Forestry Research station at Mettupalayam |
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1985
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Introduction of four year B.Sc. (Forestry) degree programme |
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1989
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Starting College of Forestry at TNAU, Coimbatore |
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1990
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Elevation of Forestry Research Station to the status of Forest College and Research Institute |
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1991
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Ensuring Introduction of Ph.D. programme in Forestry |
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1998
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Creation of five departments viz,
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2012
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Creation of Specialization Courses |
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2014 |
Sericulture Courses shifted from TNAU, Coimbatore Campus |
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2014
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Restructuring of Departments
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2018 |
Restructuring of Departments
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Sericulture
Established in 1980, the department was offering Post Graduate Diploma in Sericulture till 1990 to State Department of Sericulture functionaries as part of Human Resource Development. From 1990, the Department started offering M.Sc. (Ag) in Sericulture. Ph.D. Programme in Sericulture commenced in 2010.
TNAU is the third SAU to offer B.Sc.(Sericulture) degree from 2011. Main focus of the Department of Sericulture is to reinforce the sericultural activities through cost effective technologies for improving the social economic status of sericulture farmers in Tamil Nadu.
Department of Sericulture was shifted to Forest College and Research Institute, Mettupalayam in July 2014 with triple mandate of teaching, research and extension.