Srinagar, Aug 2: Srinagar-born Indian Forest Service (IFS) officer Sana Fayaz of the AGMUT cadre has achieved a remarkable milestone by winning five prestigious awards at the convocation ceremony of the 2024 IFS batch held at the Indira Gandhi National Forest Academy (IGNFA), Dehradun, on Saturday.
She is understood to be the first woman from the Kashmir valley to join the Indian Forest Service as a direct recruit through the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) examination. The Indian Forest Service (IFS) is one of India’s three All India Services, alongside the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) and the Indian Police Service (IPS).
In recognition of her outstanding academic performance, field competence, and professional excellence during training, Sana was conferred the Dr. B.N. Ganguly Award for Academic Excellence, the Senior Forester Prize for Best Field Forester, the D.C. Agarwal Prize for Land Management and Soil Conservation, the Sulochana Naidu Memorial Prize, and the K.P. Sagreya Shreshtha Vanik Puraskar.
The awards were presented by Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav during the convocation ceremony.
Speaking to Rising Kashmir, Sana expressed hope that her achievement would encourage more young people from Jammu and Kashmir, particularly women, to consider a career in the Indian Forest Service.
“I hope more women from Jammu and Kashmir choose the Indian Forest Service as a career. I have found that many young people are still unaware of the opportunities the IFS offers, especially for those interested in forest and wildlife conservation, climate change, disaster management, pollution, and other environmental challenges,” she said.
A resident of the Peer Bagh area of Srinagar, Sana secured the 12th All India Rank (AIR) in the Indian Forest Service Examination. Earlier, she had qualified the UPSC Civil Services Examination, 2021, and joined the Indian Trade Service (ITS) as an Assistant Director General of Foreign Trade. She also qualified the JKAS-2021 examination, securing the fourth rank in Jammu and Kashmir. Driven by her passion for environmental conservation and natural resource management, she ultimately chose to join the Indian Forest Service.
Addressing the convocation, Union Minister Bhupender Yadav congratulated the probationers on successfully completing their training and said they were embarking on a career devoted to protecting India’s forests, wildlife, and natural heritage.
He expressed confidence that the officers graduating in 2026 would play a pivotal role in realising the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047, envisioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
