13 Nov : The Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial Fund has awarded Jawaharlal Nehru Fellowship to Dr Rajesh Gopal on the occasion of the 119th Birth Anniversary of Jawaharlal Nehru. Dr Gopal is Member Secretary and Inspector General of Forests, National Tiger Conservation Authority in the ministry of Environment and Forests. This Fellowship has been awarded for his project, “Evaluation and Developing a mitigation strategy for maintaining meta-population structure of tigers in priority landscapes”.The study will provide a strategy to strengthen the source populations of tigers in various identified landscapes, apart from suggesting specific restorative inputs to maintain tiger concerns in the outer landscapes.
Dr Gopal joined the Indian Forest Service in 1978 and held various positions. His areas of interest are wildlife management and specialization in functional areas such as park management, biodiversity conservation, conservation of endangered species, eco-development and ecotourism. He has authored and co-authored several publications on wildlife management and conservation of forests. Dr Gopal has participated in many national and international seminars and workshops. He was also a member of the Task Force of the Department of the Preparation of a Forestry Project for the World Bank.
Jawaharlal Nehru Fellowship is tenable for a period of two years. It carries a stipend of Rs 15,000/- a month and a contingency grant of Rs 25,000/- per annum. Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial Fund has so far awarded 145 fellowships.