Vikipft at 09:17, 29 April 2026

2026-04-29T09:17:27Z

New page

{{short description|Indian law enforcement agency in Kerala}}
{{Multiple issues|
{{Cleanup rewrite|date=August 2025}}
{{More citations needed|date=August 2025}}
{{Sources exist|date=August 2025}}
}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2019}}
{{Use Indian English|date=August 2019}}
{{Infobox law enforcement agency
| agencyname = Kerala Forest
| nativenamea = {{lang|ml|കേരള വനം വകുപ്പ്}}
| logo = [[File:Logo of Kerala Forest Department.png|frameless|center|image has rationale=yes]]
| logocaption = Seal of Kerala Forest Department
| seal =
| sealcaption =
| motto = सुरक्षित भाव्यर्थम्
| mottotranslated = For Secure Future
| formed = {{start date and age|1888}}
| preceding1 =
| preceding2 =
| dissolved =
| superseding =
| legaljuris = [[Kerala]]
| governingbody = [[Forest|Forests and Wildlife Department]],
[[Government of Kerala]]
| headquarters = [[Vazhuthacaud]], [[Kerala]]
| sworntype = Executive officer
| employees =
| budget =
| country = India
| sworn = {{collapsible list
| PCCF: 2
| Addl. PCCF: 3
| CCF: 11
| CF: 15
| DCF: 32
| ACF: 101
| Range Officers: 205
| Deputy Range Forest Officers: 158
| Section Forest Officers: 952
| Beat Forest Officers: 2,618
}}
| minister1name = [[A. K. Saseendran]]
| minister1pfo = Minister for Forests and Wild Life Protection
| chief1name = Minhaj Alam IAS<ref>https://forest.kerala.gov.in/forestapp/public/directorydetails</ref>
| chief1position = Additional Chief Secretary (Forests and Wildlife)
| chief2name = Rajesh Ravindran, [[Indian Forest Service|IFS]]<ref>https://forest.kerala.gov.in/forestapp/public/directorydetails</ref>
| chief2position = [[Principal Chief Conservator of Forests|Principal Chief Conservator of Forests & Head of The Forest Force]]
| parentagency =
| child1agency =
| child2agency =
| website = {{URL|forest.kerala.gov.in}}
| footnotes =
}}
'''Kerala Forests''' is a department of the [[Government of Kerala]] responsible for [[forestry]] and [[wildlife management]] in the state of [[Kerala]], [[India]]. The department is involved with the protection and conservation of flora and fauna in their [[habitat|natural habitat]]s and conserves {{cvt|11,524.149|sqkm}} of [[forests]] forming 29.65% of the total geographic area of the state.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2023-03-25 |title=Kerala forest dept sensitizes staff on forest 'cover' and 'area' |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kochi/forest-dept-sensitizes-staff-on-forest-cover-and-area/articleshow/98984368.cms |access-date=2024-04-08 |work=The Times of India |issn=0971-8257}}</ref>

Headquartered in [[Vazhuthacaud]], [[Thiruvananthapuram]], the department is headed by the [[Principal Chief Conservator of Forests]], serving as the [[Head of Forest Forces|Head of Forest Force]].The headquarters also houses the Forest Central Library which is open for public access.

==Organisational Structure==
The Kerala Forests and Wildlife Department, under the leadership of Minister [[A. K. Saseendran]] for Forests and Wildlife, is administered by the [[Principal secretary (India)|Principal Secretary]] to Government (Forests and Wildlife). The Principal Secretary (Forests and Wildlife) is the administrative head of the department and is assisted by Additional Secretaries, Joint Secretaries, Deputy Secretaries and Under Secretaries at the Secretariat level.

=== Forest headquarters ===
The Kerala Forest Department is headed by a [[Principal Chief Conservator of Forests]], designated as the [[Head of Forest Forces|Head of Forest Foreces]] (HoFF), who is assisted by several officers, including Additional Principal Chief Conserverator of Forests (APCCF), Chief Conservator of Forests (CCF), Conservator of Forests (CF), and Deputy Conservator of Forests (DCF). The department has a staff strength of over 11,000 employees, including forest officers, rangers, guards, and other support staff.
The department is organized into five circles, each headed by a Chief Conservator of Forests. The circles are further divided into divisions and ranges, each headed by a Divisional Forest Officer and Range Officer, respectively.<ref name=":0" />

* Forest Management Wing: Headed by a Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF), is responsible for supervising field formations at the division and range levels and enforcing forest laws.<ref name=":0" />
* Wildlife Wing: Headed by the Chief Wildlife Warden, ensures that field functionaries work to protect various species within the State’s diverse ecosystems.
* Finance and Budget Wing
* Administration Wing: headed by an Additional PCCF, responsible for administrative matters of the department.
* Vigilance and Forest Intelligence Wing:
* [[Social forestry in India|Social forestry wing]]: The wing has 3 Circles and 14 Social Forestry Divisions.
* Eco-Development & Tribal Welfare Wing: This wing is headed by an Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Ecodevelopment & Tribal Welfare).
* Ecologically Fragile Land (EFL) Wing:
* Special Afforestation & Nodal Office Wing:
* Information Technology Wing & Human Resources Wing

===Hierarchy===
*Principal Chief Conservator of Forests & [[Head of Forest Forces|Head of Forest Force]] (PCCF & HoFF)
*Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF)
*Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (APCCF)
*Chief Conservator of Forests (CCF)
*Conservator of Forests (CF)
*Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) / Deputy Conservator of Forests (DCF) / Wildlife warden
*Assistant Conservator of Forests (ACF)
*Range Forest Officer (RFO)
*Deputy Range Forest Officer (DyRFO)
*Section Forest Officer (SFO)
*Beat Forest Officer (BFO)
*Forest Driver (Dvr)
==Ranks and Insignia==
The Kerala Forest Department has three categories of officers: [[Indian Forest Service]] (IFS), Kerala Forest Service (KFS), and Kerala Forest Subordinate Service.

The IFS cadre includes officers from Assistant Conservator of Forests (ACF) to Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF). These are Group A gazetted officers appointed through the [[Union Public Service Commission]]. The Kerala Forest Service (KFS) comprises Deputy Conservators of Forests (Non-IFS), Assistant Conservators of Forests (Non-IFS), and [[Forest range officer|Range Forest Officers]]. The Kerala Forest Subordinate Service includes Deputy Range Forest Officers, Section Forest Officers, Beat Forest Officers, and Forest Drivers.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Wayback Machine |url=https://forest.kerala.gov.in/forestapp/public/documents/circulars/circular0711202407:42:19.pdf |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250708090606/https://forest.kerala.gov.in/forestapp/public/documents/circulars/circular0711202407:42:19.pdf |archive-date=2025-07-08 |access-date=2026-01-25 |website=forest.kerala.gov.in}}</ref>

Uniform (''[[Khaki]]'') is mandatory only for field-level officers (Range Forest Officers and below); senior officers ACF and above do not have a prescribed uniform.<ref name=":0" />
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
! No.
! Rank
! Shoulder insignia
|-
| 1
| Range Forest Officer (RFO)
| [[File:Range Forest Officer (RFO) rank insignia (Kerala).png|center|frameless|90x90px]]
|-
| 2
| Deputy Range Forest Officer (Dy.RFO)
| [[File:Deputy Range Forest Officer rank insignia (Kerala).png|center|frameless|90x90px]]
|-
| 3
| Section Forest Officer (SFO)
| [[File:Section Forest Officer rank insignia (Kerala).png|center|frameless|90x90px]]
|-
| 4
| Beat Forest Officer (BFO) / Driver (DVR)
| [[File:Beat Forest Officer rank insignia (Kerala).png|center|frameless|90x90px]]
|}

==Responsibilities==
* Biodiversity conservation
* Forest protection
* Wildlife management and research
* Forest development
* Social forestry
* Forest vigilance and evaluation
* Eco-development and tribal welfare
* Planning and research
* Rehabilitation and special afforestation
* Human resource development

==See also==
*[[Department of Environment (Kerala)|Department of Environment, Government of Kerala]]
*[[Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education]]
* [[Van Vigyan Kendra]] - Forest Science Centers
* [[Operation Shikkar]] - Combat illegal ivory smuggling and poaching

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.forest.kerala.gov.in Official Website]
* [http://www.kerala.gov.in/ Government of Kerala] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060118031516/http://www.kerala.gov.in/ |date=18 January 2006 }}
* [http://moef.nic.in/index.php Ministry of Environments and Forests, Government of India]
* [http://www.minister-forest.kerala.gov.in/ Minister for Kerala Forests and Wildlife]
* [http://www.kfri.res.in/ Kerala Forest Research Institute]

[[Category:State forest departments of India|Kerala]]
[[Category:Government departments of Kerala|Forest]]
[[Category:Law enforcement in Kerala]]
[[Category:Wildlife conservation in India]]
[[Category:Environment of Kerala]]

Kerala Forest Department - Revision history

Vikipft at 09:17, 29 April 2026