About IDP Centre Sirsi
Sharavati Valley, Near Sirsi
History CoF, Sirsi
The College of Forestry, Sirsi is one of the premier institutes of forestry education in the country and a constituent college of the University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad. It was started as ‘Forestry Degree Programme’ of the College of Agriculture, Dharwad during 1985-86 under the erstwhile University of Agricultural Sciences. Terminal two years of Forestry Degree Programme were taught in Magod forest area of Uttara Kannada district till 1990. The Programme then was shifted to Sirsi and was upgraded into a full-fledged College during 1997. Post-Graduate degree programme in Forestry was also initiated at College of Forestry, Sirsi as per the guidance of the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE), Dehra Dun.
The cozy town Sirsi, is right in one of the ‘Global hotspots of bio-diversity’ of the world, i.e. the Western Ghats, and is bestowed with different natural forest types and three wildlife protection areas. Joint forest planning and management is also being effectively undertaken in this region by the forest department. A ‘Krishi Vigyan Kendra’ is also located on the campus. All these offer unique learning opportunities and have made a good milieu for the housing of College of Forestry.
Since its foundation, the College has been widening its teaching and research activities. Today it offers a Bachelor’s Degree Programme, B. Sc. (Hons), four Masters’ Degree Programme in Forestry and two Doctoral Programme. The College has so far produced 32 IFS officers selected through the UPSC, about 20 Assistant Conservators of Forests selected through KPSC, and over 200 Range Forest Officers selected through a competitive exam conducted by the Department of Forests.
The College has undertaken several collaborative research with several national and international agencies such as Indian Institute of Forest Management, Bhopal; Kerala Forest Research Institute, Peechi; Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment, Bengaluru; Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru and Centre for Environment Education. The College has developed several Agro-forestry models for degraded land rejuvenation; identified over 100 farmers’ varieties of wild aromatic pickle mango and elite types of important medicinal crops. The first global patent of University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad was obtained by one of the staff of the College.
On campus facilities today include three boy’s and one girl’s hostels, well equipped library; good laboratories, large playground, multi-gym, poly houses, nursery space, examination hall, etc. Over four hundred post graduate students have been trained from this Institute.