Lok Sabha Question No. 4030 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-08-10
Subject: New Projects in Rain Forest Research Institute
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: KAMAKHYA PRASAD TASA

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4030

TO BE ANSWERED ON 10.08.2018

## New Projects in Rain Forest Research Institute

## 4030.  SHRI KAMAKHYA PRASAD TASA:

Will the Minister of ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE be pleased to state:

- (a) the  details  of  ongoing  new  projects  in  Rain  Forest  Research  Institute  (RFRI), Jorhat, Assam;
- (b) the total fund granted to RFRI, Jorhat for all schemes;
- (c) the new research achievements of RFRI, Jorhat; and
- (d) the total number of vacant posts of RFRI along with the time by which the said posts are likely to be filled?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE (DR. MAHESH SHARMA)

- (a) The  details  of  ongoing  new  projects  in  Rain  Forest  Research  Institute  (RFRI), Jorhat, Assam is given at Annexure-A.
- (b) The  total  fund  granted  to  RFRI,  Jorhat  for  all  schemes  during  the  financial  year 2018-19 is as under: -
- (c) The new research achievements of RFRI, Jorhat is given at Annexure-B.
- (d) The total number of vacant posts of RFRI along with the time by which the said posts are likely to be filled is as under: -

| Scheme         |   (Rs. In Lakhs) |
|----------------|------------------|
| Salaries       |           1200   |
| General        |            219.8 |
| Capital Assets |             12.5 |
| Total          |           1432.3 |

| Name of post                     |   Vacant | Remarks                                          |
|----------------------------------|----------|--------------------------------------------------|
| Scientist                        |       15 | Process of filling up of vacancies are underway. |
| Conservator of Forests (CF)      |        3 | Process of filling up of vacancies are underway. |
| Dy. Conservator of Forests (DCF) |        4 | Process of filling up of vacancies are underway. |
| Forest Range Officers (FRO)      |        2 | Process of filling up of vacancies are underway. |

| Technical                                  |   8 | Shall be filled up on eligibility of candidate for promotion     |
|--------------------------------------------|-----|------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Gr. 'C' Administrative                     |   8 | Shall be filled up on eligibility of candidate for promotion     |
| Gr. 'C' Administrative (Erstwhile Gr. 'D') |   4 | The posts have already advertised &Recruitment is under process. |

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## Annexure referred to in reply to part (a) of the Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 4030 due for answer on 10.08.2018 regarding 'New Projects in Rain Forest Research Institute'

## Details of ongoing New Projects in Rain Forest Research Institute are: -

|   Sl. No. | Title of the project                                                                                                                                                                                                                                | Funding Agency                                                               |
|-----------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|         1 | Utilization of Ectomycorrhizal diversity for the quality stock production of Junipers, Oak and Chestnut in Sikkim, India. Duration: 3 years (2018-21)                                                                                               | ICFRE                                                                        |
|         2 | Modeling soil carbon dynamics and land use cover change for permanent land uses of Meghalaya. Duration: 2 years (2018-20)                                                                                                                           | ICFRE                                                                        |
|         3 | Development of allometric models for estimating volume and aboveground biomass for important tree species outside the forest (TOF) in Assam. Duration: 2 years (2018-20)                                                                            | ICFRE                                                                        |
|         4 | Reclamation of coal mined land of North Eastern Coalfields, Assam through soil amendment and revegetation with native plant species using integrated biological approach. Duration: 3 years (2018-21)                                               | Central Mine Planning & Design Institute Limited (CMPDI), Ranchi, Jharkhand. |
|         5 | Studies on natural regeneration, diversity and distribution of soil seed banks and their relationship with above ground vegetation in watershed of scared Khecheopalri Lake of Sikkim. Duration: 3 years (2018-21)                                  | National Mission of Himalayan Studies (NMHS)                                 |
|         6 | Estimation of species wise Bamboo Resources and Assessment of their utilization pattern in Mokokchung district of Nagaland, India. Duration:3 years (2018-21)                                                                                       | National Mission of Himalayan Studies (NMHS)                                 |
|         7 | National Mission of Himalayan Studies (NMHS) titled "Documentation of the traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) and quantification of medicinal plants used by the Karbi tribe of Karbi Anglong hill district of Assam. Duration:3 years (2018-21) | National Mission of Himalayan Studies (NMHS)                                 |
|         8 | Exploration, identification of genetic resources and strategies for sustainable management of Paris polyphylla in Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Mizoram and Nagaland in Northeast India Duration; 3 years (2018-21)                                   | National Medicinal Plant Board, AYUSH, Govt. of India                        |
|         9 | Creation of North-East Indian Zingiberales biodiversity garden (Gene Bank) in RFRI. Duration: 5 years (2018-23)                                                                                                                                     | National Medicinal Plants Board (NMPB)                                       |

## Annexure referred to in reply to part (c) of the Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 4030 due for answer on 10.08.2018 regarding 'New Projects in Rain Forest Research Institute'

## The new research achievements of Rain Forest Research Institute are: -

-  The Northeastern region of India is rich in mushroom diversity. RFRI carried out complete survey of mushrooms in Nagaland and Meghalaya. A total of 120 species were identified from Nagaland.  A total  of  148  mushroom  species  were  collected  from  Meghalaya,  of which, 112 species were first records for Meghalaya while 16 species were  first  records  from  India.  Further,  a  new  species  of  fungus Lysurushabungianus sp. nov.Gogoi& V. Parkash; MycoBank No. MB 812277 was described from Assam
-  In  the  study  of  Lichen  diversity  in  Northeast,  A  total  of  171  lichen species  are  reported  from  Mizoram  including  two  new  records  for India: Dibaeisabsoluta and Heterodermiaechinata
-  Parkiaroxburghii, thetree  bean  is  the  most  popular  plant  of  the  hill states of North East India in which large scale mortality was reported in the region. A long horned beetle ( Coptopsaedificator )was identified as the cause and is a new pest record on Parkiaroxburghii .
-  Agarbatti  industry  in  India  have  been  facing  problem  due  to  the shortage  of  quality  raw  material,  especially  the  gummy  substance ( Jigat ).  Presently,  two  new  combinations  of  plant  based  natural adhesives  have been  developed  from 10 indigenous plant species  of Assam.
-  Extensive  skill  development  trainings  on  bamboo including nursery, plantation and bamboo craft; artificial inoculation of agar trees and lac cultivation and processing were conducted. Total of 220 beneficiaries were trained during 2018-19.

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