Jagat Jyoti Dutta was 98 years old
Jagat Jyoti Dutta, renowned forester and architect of Madhya Pradesh’s forest landscape, died on Saturday, August 3. He was 98.
His cremation was held today, A Times of India report said.
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav has expressed his condolences, praising Dutta’s contributions to the establishment of the State Forest Research Institute and wildlife conservation in the state.
Here are some facts about the late forester:
- JJ Dutta was a 1950 batch Indian Forest Service (IFS) officer and served as the first-ever Wildlife Warden of Madhya Pradesh. He was a gold medallist in Zoology from Nagpur Science College and an alumnus of the prestigious Forest Research Institute (FRI) in Dehradun.
- Mr Dutta was the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) for several decades before his retirement in 1984. He was known for his exceptional knowledge, and passion and for guiding forest officers about Indian forestry.
- JJ Dutta was honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award by the government of Madhya Pradesh for his outstanding contributions to wildlife conservation in the state and country.
- Dutta played a major role in establishing Madhya Pradesh as the “Tiger State” of India, with 450 tigers out of a national total of 1800. His leadership also earned international recognition for several reserves developed under his guidance.
- Retired IFS officers Ghanshaym Saxena and Suhas Kumar praised JJ Dutta’s leadership, saying he trained and influenced a team of skilled and dedicated foresters, making Madhya Pradesh a leader in wildlife management. His protege, HS Pawar, led Project Tiger and later became director of the Wildlife Institute of India. They believe Dutta deserves the highest civilian honour from the Government of India, The Times Of India report added.
