Minister Rana Describes Forest Guards as Green Ambassadors, Announces Upgrade of Training School Anchor The passing out parade of the 71st, 72nd, and 73rd batches of the Forest Guard Training Course was held at the Kashmir Forest Training School (KFTS), Chitternar Bandipora. Javid Ahmad Rana, Minister for Jal Shakti, Forest, Ecology & Environment, and Tribal Affairs, attended the event as the chief guest. The programme began with a guard of honour, followed by the passing out parade by trainees, along with contingents from the Forest Protection Force Bandipora and the J&K Police Band. Principal of KFTS Chitternar, Divinar Singh Pal, presented the annual report of the training school, highlighting the training modules and field assignments completed by the trainees. He spoke about the role of Forest Guards in ensuring ecological security and pointed towards the importance of effective forest management with community participation. The Minister, in his address, referred to forests as the region’s green gold and said their protection is a collective responsibility. He urged the newly trained Forest Guards to act as green ambassadors on the ground, maintain vigilance, and coordinate with local communities to protect forest wealth. He added that forest personnel often work in challenging field conditions to safeguard natural resources. Rana announced that the Kashmir Forest Training School will be upgraded into a Forest Training College to enhance training standards and overall institutional development. He encouraged the trainees to work with a sense of responsibility toward environmental protection and uphold the trust placed in them by the department and society, calling them Green Ambassadors entrusted with the protection of natural heritage. Later, awards were presented to trainees who performed well during the training programme. Byte By Javid Ahmad Rana, Minister for Jal Shakti, Forest, Ecology & Environment, and Tribal Affairs