New Delhi: Lok Sabha Speaker Shri Om Birla today called for balancing development and sustainability to tackle the challenge of climate change. He said that climate change is one of the greatest challenges facing the world, and India is at the forefront of tackling this challenge with Mission LiFE – Lifestyle for Environment, as envisioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Shri Birla was addressing the inaugural session of an Appreciation Course in Parliamentary Processes and Procedures for a group of Officer Trainees (OTs) of 2023-25 batch of Indian Forest Service held at the Parliament House Complex, today. The course is being organized by the Parliamentary Research and Training Institute for Democracies (PRIDE), Lok Sabha Secretariat.
Observing that the Indian Forest Service (IFoS) has an inherent responsibility to lead campaign to mitigate challenge of climate change, Shri Birla exhorted the OTs to vigorously carry the efforts to increase country’s forest cover and protect the wildlife.
He mentioned that in Indian culture, nature is revered, where we worship trees, and regard the earth as our mother. He added that this deep respect for nature has shaped our practices and policies towards environmental conservation. This has not only resulted in more number of forest parks in the country and various other policy efforts to develop the forest areas but also gave a push to the tourism in these regions.
Shri Birla mentioned that issues related to wildlife conservation and environmental imbalances are regularly discussed in Parliament. He expressed confidence that the young officers, full of confidence, new ideas, and armed with technology are ready to tackle these challenges. He counseled the OTs to study the laws passed in Parliament and understand how to address emerging challenges. He also suggested that forest produce should be scientifically utilized and suitably priced.
Noting that this year marks the 75th anniversary of the adoption of the Constitution, Shri Birla said that today, the Constitution of India has become a guiding light for the world. He commended the vision of our founding fathers, whose remarkable foresight paved the way to include the values of justice, equality, fraternity, and freedom of expression in the Constitution of India.
On this occasion, Shri Birla led the Officer Trainees to read the Preamble of the Constitution of India.
Secretary General of the Lok Sabha, Utpal Kumar Singh delivered the welcome address on the occasion. Joint Secretary in Lok Sabha Secretariat, Gaurav Goyal delivered the vote of thanks.
112 Officer Trainees from IFoS including 22 female OTs and 90 male OTs are attending the Appreciation course. Two officers from Royal Bhutan Service are also attending the course.
Source: PIB
