Dehradun: Dr. S. Senthil Kumar, a 1998-batch Indian Forest Service (IFS) officer of the AGMUT cadre, has been appointed Director General of the Forest Survey of India (FSI), the organisation responsible for assessing and monitoring the country’s forest resources.
According to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Kumar was appointed to the post on deputation under the Central Staffing Scheme of the ministry through an order dated September 16, 2026. The Forest Survey of India’s official profile records October 1, 2026, as his date of joining the organisation.
Dr Kumar belongs to the erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir cadre, which is now part of the joint AGMUT cadre following the reorganisation of services.
The appointment places an experienced forest administrator and ecology scholar at the helm of one of India’s most important institutions responsible for assessing and monitoring the country’s forest and tree cover.
Dr. Kumar brings nearly three decades of experience in forest administration, wildlife management, environmental governance, forestry research and institutional management. His professional career has included important assignments in Jammu and Kashmir, Puducherry, Chennai and Dehradun.
Before his latest appointment, he was serving as Deputy Director General of Forests (Central) at the Southern Regional Office of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) in Chennai, a position he took up in early 2025.
His academic qualifications, including a doctorate in ecology and undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in forestry, complement his administrative experience in forest conservation, environmental clearances, research institutions and resource management.
Who Is Dr. S. Senthil Kumar?
Dr Kumar is a senior forestry officer whose professional background includes forest administration, environmental governance, wildlife conservation and institutional capacity-building.
Read Also: Who Is MK Kumar? 2006-Batch AGMUT IFS Officer Transferred from J&K to Andaman & Nicobar Islands
He entered the Indian Forest Service as part of the 1998 batch and belongs to the AGMUT cadre, which covers Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Mizoram and Union Territories, including Jammu and Kashmir.
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change issued the appointment order in September, while the FSI website lists Kumar as the organisation’s Director General.
Educational Qualifications: PhD in Ecology and Degrees in Forestry
Kumar has an academic background spanning forestry, environmental science, ecology and sociology.
According to the Forest Survey of India’s official profile, his educational qualifications include:
- PhD in Ecology: Pondicherry University.
- Dottore Magistrale in Forestry and Environmental Science: University of Padua, Italy, with specialisation in forest policy and ethics.
- MSc in Environmental Forestry: University of Wales, Bangor, United Kingdom, where he received a distinction.
- MA in Sociology: Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU).
- Forestry diploma: A diploma from the Indira Gandhi National Forest Academy (IGNFA), Dehradun, equivalent to an MSc in Forestry.
- BSc in Forestry: Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore.
His qualifications combine technical training in forestry and environmental science with research in ecology and an academic background in sociology.
Professional Experience in Forest Administration
IFS Kumar’s professional experience includes work in forest administration, environmental governance, wildlife conservation and institutional capacity-building, according to his official profile.
Jammu and Kashmir (2021–2025): He served as Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (APCCF), handling Forest Conservation Act-related matters, forest working plans and statutory clearances. He also served as the department’s nodal officer for the Act.
MoEFCC, Chennai (2025–2026): As Deputy Director General of Forests (Central), he worked on forestry and environmental administration at the ministry’s Southern Regional Office.
Institute of Forest Genetics and Tree Breeding (2014–2021): He served as Chief Conservator of Forests at the Coimbatore-based institute, which focuses on forestry research, tree improvement and forest genetics.
Puducherry (around 2013): He served as Chief Wildlife Warden and Conservator of Forests, handling wildlife administration and conservation responsibilities.
ICFRE, Dehradun (2008–2012): During his central deputation to the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education, he handled quality management, statistics and procurement-related responsibilities.
What Is the Forest Survey of India?
The Forest Survey of India is an organisation under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. Its principal mandate is to conduct surveys and assess forest resources across the country.
The organisation began in 1965 as the Pre-Investment Survey of Forest Resources project, supported by the Food and Agriculture Organization, the United Nations Development Programme and the Government of India. It was reorganised as the Forest Survey of India in 1981.
Its major responsibilities include:
- Forest-cover assessment: Mapping and assessing forest cover across India.
- Forest-resource monitoring: Collecting and analysing information on the country’s forest resources.
- Forest inventory: Conducting assessments to support the understanding and management of forest resources.
- Forest-related reporting: Publishing the India State of Forest Report, a biennial assessment of forest cover and related information.
- Technical support: Providing forest-related data and information for planning and decision-making.
The India State of Forest Report is among the organisation’s major publications and provides assessments of forest cover at national, state and district levels.
What Does His Appointment Mean for FSI?
As Director General, Kumar heads the organisation responsible for national forest-resource assessments and monitoring.
His appointment places an officer with qualifications in ecology, forestry and environmental science at the helm of an institution whose work includes forest-cover mapping, resource inventories and the preparation of forest-related reports.
The appointment order places him in the post on deputation under the ministry’s Central Staffing Scheme. The official records confirm his appointment and date of joining, but do not announce any new policy or specific changes to FSI’s ongoing programmes.
Read Also: Who Is K. B. Singh? 1995-Batch IFS Officer Gets Additional Charge of Forest Protection Division
