Senior IFS Officers Visit KIIT to Explore Technology- Driven Wildlife Conservation Initiatives
Dr. Debabrata Swain, IFS (Retd.), Former Member, Lokayukta and Former Principal Chief Conservator of Forests & Head of Forest Force (PCCF &HoFF), Odisha; and Saroj Kumar Patnaik, IFS (Retd.), Former Chief Wildlife Warden and erstwhile Central Empowered Committee (CEC) Member, Hon’ble Supreme Court of India, visited the School of Mechanical Engineering, KIIT Deemed to be University to explore innovative wildlife conservation technologies on 24th June 2026
The visit focused on cutting-edge projects developed through the collaborative efforts of the Forest Innovation Cell (Office of the RCCF, Berhampur Circle)and theDefence Research Lab, School of Mechanical Engineering, KIIT-DU. The delegation was guided by Vishwanath Neelannavar, IFS, Regional Chief Conservator of Forests (RCCF), Berhampur Circle.
The programme was coordinated by Dr. Tulishree Pradhan, Associate Professor, KIIT Law School(KLS); and Dr. Ipsita Das, Associate Dean (PG) and Associate Professor, KLS. The occasion was also graced by S. Jyotiranjan, Central Government Counsel and Secretary General, KIIT Centre for International Arbitration and Mediation. The innovative projects and technologies were demonstrated by Prof. Manoj Ukamanal, who has been supervising these research initiatives.
The dignitaries reviewed a series of prototypes and technological solutions developed for the protection of elephants, blackbucks, and Olive Ridley turtles. The collaborative initiative has already resulted in two granted design patents, along with several other intellectual property rights, highlighting the impact of interdisciplinary research in addressing critical wildlife conservation challenges.
Their visit was attended by Dr. Jnyana Ranjan Mohanty, Registrar, KIIT-DU; Prof. P. C. Mishra, Dean, School of Mechanical Engineering, along with Deans and members of the R&D team. The dignitaries appreciated the innovative work, discussed strategies for field deployment of the technologies, and encouraged continued collaboration between academia, researchers, and the Forest Department to further strengthen technology-driven conservation initiatives.
The visit reaffirmed KIIT-DU’s commitment to fostering interdisciplinary research, innovation, and sustainable solutions for biodiversity conservation and environmental protection.