Now Reading: Uttarakhand forest academy offers free 15-day hostel stay for students
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Uttarakhand forest academy offers free 15-day hostel stay for students
The Uttarakhand Forest Training Academy (UKFTA) in Haldwani has started offering free hostel stays for up to 15 days to students from government-run institutions, aiming to promote ecological education. The decision, approved…
The Uttarakhand Forest Training Academy (UKFTA) in Haldwani has started offering free hostel stays for up to 15 days to students from government-run institutions, aiming to promote ecological education. The decision, approved on September 16, follows a request by undergraduates of Veer Singh Garhwali Uttarakhand University of Horticulture and Forestry, who were earlier charged the same fee as state government officials.
Academy director Sanjiv Chaturvedi said the move was taken for student welfare and to boost environmental awareness among Gen Z learners. The free stay is being provided at the Mayuri Hostel on an experimental basis, though the scope and duration may be extended depending on feedback. A similar initiative in 2022, under Chaturvedi's leadership, had made all 26 biodiversity centres in the state free for student visits.
Indian Opinion Analysis
The academy's move targets a real gap. Government-run hostel facilities under state forest departments are typically reserved for in-service training of forest personnel, not open to students from other streams. By making the stay free, the academy removes the deterrent of lodging costs for students from rural or low-income backgrounds who might otherwise not visit Uttarakhand's forests. The 15-day cap and the experimental tag are cautious, they let the department assess demand and operational costs before a wider rollout. The next signal to watch is whether the scheme is extended to private institutions or beyond the 15-day limit after the feedback review.
Source: hindustantimes.com
This brief was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
