Towards Sustainability: Stories from India
68
A Foundation for Sustainable Development
Building institutions and capacities
20
That India was home to the Flying Gecko (Ptykozon lionotum) was not known until a
student of the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) discovered this rare reptile during research
undertaken as part of the requirements for his Masters degree. The Post-Graduate
programme in Wildlife Science is one of WIIs activities for capacity-building for wildlife
conservation. WII was set up at Dehra Dun in 1982 with a mandate to train government and
non-government personnel, carry out research, and advise on matters of conservation and
management of wildlife resources.
Since its inception, WII has been engaged in various activities towards wildlife
management and has been involved in many of the
countrys wildlife conservation and research
programmes. The Institute has been strengthened
by international and bilateral collaborations for
institutional building, faculty development,
infusion of modern technology and creation of a
scientific infrastructure. These collaborations with
wildlife organizations, scientific institutions and
universities are worked out at the national as well
as international levels. WII now attracts persons
from across the South Asian region for training and
education in wildlife management and
conservation.
The establishment of institutions to provide
expertise and skilled human resources in different
sectors has been one of the key features of Indias progress towards sustainable
development. The institutions span the wide gamut of subject areas necessary for
sustainable development. The leaders of modern independent India envisioned a country
with indigenous capacities, and in keeping with this vision, the country is in the process of
building up capacities to provide a better quality of life to all its citizens.
Agriculture has been one of the core areas of development in India. Constant inputs from
R&D activities have greatly benefitted the country through an overall increase of
agricultural production. The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) is one of the
key institutions that has been fulfilling the needs of Indian agriculture through establishing
a variety of institutions and programmes. Established in 1929, the Council was re-organized
in 1965 and 1973, during which period the spectacular results of Green Revolution were
obtained.
The huge extent of ICARs operations can be judged by the fact that it now encompasses 46
Central Research Institutes, 4 National Bureaux, 10 Project Directorates, 27 National
Research Centres, 90 All India Co-ordinated Research Projects, 261 Krishi Vigyan Kendras
(Agriculture Science Centres) and 8 Trainers Training Centres. Additionally, 29
Institutions as Catalysts of
Change