'In a situation of conflict, you have to hear people out'

Takhat Singh Ranawat is an IIT graduate, who joined the Indian Forest Services fortuitously in 2007. He has worked in Karwar, Ballari, Ramanagara, Chikkamagaluru and is currently the Conservator of Forest in Kodagu circle, Madikeri.

Ranawat earned a reputation as an upright officer for cracking down on illegal quarrying during his stint in Kanakpura, Ramanagara. Here, he speaks to DH’s Prajwal Suvarna about his life in the IFS so far. Excerpts follow:

What prompted you to join the Indian Forest Service? How did you prepare for the exams?

I was actually preparing for the civil services (IAS and IPS) but I gave the IFS exam as well, where I got selected.

With regards to preparation, we only have the option of taking up science subjects in the forest service. I had taken up Physics and Chemistry. These were similar to what I had already studied for during my IIT preparations, so that helped.

Preparing for the IFS is not very different from the IAS and IPS. You need to focus on current affairs and subject-specific study. And since it is a science subject, there is a lot of problem-solving.

You also need to have a routine. There are a lot of things to read and focused study is important.

If you don't have a motivated group, sometimes you get lost. So I would say having a good peer group or friends circle with whom you study is important.

I was preparing for the exams with two friends of mine. We had a small study group and we studied together.

How has your experience in the service been so far?

I had no idea that I would be joining the forest service. But I was fortunate to get the Karnataka cadre, as the state has a good, diverse forest area.

Even though we work with forests and wildlife, there is a lot of variety within that field. Being a forest officer gives you a lot of opportunity and freedom to take initiative. It is a fascinating field and the people are very passionate about their work.

What are the challenges of being an IFS officer?

In IFS our mandate is the conservation of forest and wildlife. There is a lot of debate about conservation versus development. Sometimes, people say conservation is hindering development and the forest and wildlife department gets the blame.

We need to have a balanced approach. For instance, you cannot allow mining to happen unhindered — it has a lot of impact on society. But we find it difficult to convince people about these issues. As a society, we are focused on attending to immediate concerns and don't look at long term impact.

The forest department also interacts a lot with those at the margins of society: poor people, tribal communities etc. Or we interact with farmers on the fringe of the forest, where there is a lot of man-animal conflict. Sometimes people get killed.

So it is hard to convince people that wildlife belongs to everybody.

Could you describe your average working day?

The forest service is a field job. Most of our time is spent doing afforestation, patrolling, or managing human-animal conflict — sometimes our day is spent driving the elephants back into the forest.

Recently, we had an incident in Kutta, Srimangala, where a tiger had killed three people and there was a lot of pressure to capture that animal. The two years of training at the Indira Gandhi National Forest Academy in Dehradun includes courses on forestry, conservation and wildlife which helps us deal with these issues.

Many times we are also attending to land-related litigation. In forested areas, the public depend on the forest department. So there is also a lot of interaction and connection with the local public.

You have been in Karnataka for more than a decade. Did you find it difficult to adjust to life here?

The people of Karnataka have a lot of warmth. Though I am from Rajasthan, I never felt like I was an outsider here. Since I studied for four years at IIT-Madras, there was not much of a cultural shock.

But coming from a Hindi-speaking background, learning and picking up Kannada was a little difficult. Learning the script is challenging.

Is it compulsory for officers to learn Kannada?

When you are posted to the cadre and when you get the first promotion, you have to pass the departmental exam — whether it is IAS, IPS or IFS.

And the Kannada written exam is set by the KPSC, which is quite tough. So you have to learn the language, or they won’t pass you.

And most of the official correspondence is also in Kannada. It took me a year to learn the language. I took tuitions when I was posted in Karwar. But now I can read and write Kannada fluently.

Any advice for young professionals? A few words about conflict management?

For civil service aspirants, I would say you need to be in the company of motivated people. Have patience and persevere. Give the exams a serious try. Having said that, getting into civil service or government service is not the end of the world. There are a lot more things waiting to happen in life.

In any situation of conflict management, you have to hear people out and appreciate their point of view. Not cut them off before they finish speaking.

If people are speaking emotionally and you are not in a mood to hear them out, how can there be trust between the two sides?

And the people don't expect you to solve the problem on the spot. They want to be heard.

What hobbies do you have outside of work?

I like travelling, specifically historical and archaeological sites. Hampi and nearby areas are amazing places, brimming with history. You look at the architecture, you get a lot of feedback on vaastu shastra. You can pick up many building designs from Hampi.

(Path to Civils is a fortnightly series featuring interviews with exemplary officers from the civil services who share their perspectives on preparing for the exams and working in government service)