• Familiarize participants with current frontiers of technologies applicable to forest and wildlife management, and with the scientific principles that underlie them.
• Build practical, hands-on competence in geospatial analytics, drone-based survey, AI/ML-assisted image and audio analysis, and molecular- and sensor-based monitoring tools.
• Develop the capacity to critically evaluate data quality, accuracy, uncertainty, and limitations before technology outputs are used in management or policy decisions.
• Enable participants to design technology-enabled monitoring protocols appropriate to their own institutional mandate and resource setting.
• Strengthen the visibility, technical confidence, and professional networks of women scientists and technologists in this domain.
• Create a continuing peer network across departments, states, and disciplines for collaboration beyond the programme.

• Day 1 – Technology landscape and geospatial foundations: Remote sensing fundamentals, spectral behaviour of vegetation, Indian earth observation assets and open data, projections and data quality. Hands-on: working spatial database for a forest division.
• Day 2 – Advanced sensing: UAV, LiDAR, hyperspectral, SAR: Platforms, payloads, flight planning and regulation, photogrammetry and structure-from-motion; canopy height and biomass; species discrimination; change detection. Hands-on: UAV demonstration, orthomosaics, and canopy models.
• Day 3 – AI, machine learning, and cloud analytics: Computer vision for camera-trap classification, passive acoustic monitoring, cloud geospatial computing, habitat suitability modelling. Hands-on: train and validate a classifier; multi-temporal land-cover change.
• Day 4 – Wildlife monitoring and molecular frontiers: Satellite telemetry and movement analytics, eDNA and metabarcoding, conservation genomics and wildlife forensics, conflict early warning, digital patrolling. Field exercise at Van Vihar National Park.
• Day 5 – Fire, IoT, governance, and application: Fire risk modelling and IoT early warning, digital MRV for forest carbon, traceability and legality assurance, decision support systems. Participant presentations and valedictory session.

Pedagogy: A working laboratory rather than a lecture series. Expert sessions, live hardware and software demonstrations, computer-lab exercises, a field exercise, and Indian case discussion. Faculty from IIFM, national research institutes, technology organizations, and senior sector practitioners.

Eligibility: Maintaining regional diversity and groups’ heterogeneity in ranks. Programme is sponsored by DST and all expenses for this programme are being borne by them with no cost to participating institutions/participants. The upper age limit is 57 years and eligible participants must be working in Group A Service in Government organizations/ S&T councils/ PSUs on regular scale. Contractual employees are not allowed as per DST norms.

Registration Fee: No Registration Fee (Boarding, lodging, and meals on the IIFM campus are provided free of cost for the full five days. Participants arrange their own travel. Full attendance is mandatory for the award of the certificate.)

• Complete the online application form via the direct apply link below.
• Obtain the forwarding and sponsorship endorsement of your Head of Department or Controlling Officer.
• Email the forwarded application to amvitap@iifmbhopal.ac.in with the subject line “Application – Frontier Technologies in Forest and Wildlife Management (07-11 September 2026)”.

Programme Director: Dr. Anvita Pandey (Assistant Professor & Chairperson, Centre for Sustainable Forest Management & Forest Certification, Indian Institute of Forest Management, Bhopal)

Email: amvitap@iifmbhopal.ac.in | Phone: +91 75790 44711

Venue Address: Nehru Nagar, Bhopal – 462 003, Madhya Pradesh, India (Raja Bhoj Airport: 10.5 km; Bhopal Junction and Rani Kamlapati stations: 7 km).