India, March 7 -- As the successor to the Imperial Forest Service that was created in 1865, the Indian Forest Service (IFS) became a central service in 1966. While the semi-uniformed forest department was primarily oriented towards living and working in remote locations, the entry of women into the service happened much later, with the induction of three women officers in 1980. It required only minor amendments (with a relaxation on physical criteria), and there has been no turning back since. The cadre strength of women in the IFS has grown from a mere handful to over 350 serving officers today.

I first came across women foresters while working in Kaziranga, a Unesco World Heritage Site that is home to the largest population of the grea...