Interviewtimes 
Dr. Prakash Chand Gogineni is a 2009 batch IFS officer, born in Guntur, Andhra Pradesh. Dr. Prakash is currently posted as DFO, Dhenkanal (Dhenkanal Forest Division). Interview Times had a good conversation with him on a chilly winter dawn at his office. Below are the answers he responded to Interview Times questionnaire:- 
Q1-What inspired you to go for Indian Forest Service?
Answer: I was preparing for all civil services after my Post Graduation. In the process I cleared Indian Forest Service. Since childhood I was very much interested in forest and wildlife.
Q2- Currently you are posted in Dhenkanal, could you please share about your experience here?
Answer: Dhenkanal is a very challenging division, mainly because of huge human-elephant conflict. There are about 200 plus elephants round the year. Dhenkanal town and people have accepted me very well and also I enjoy working with them. In the process I could contribute in resolving long standing problems in last one-and-half years.
Q3- What do you like to do on Sundays and holidays?
Answer: As such as there are fewer holidays, still on holidays I like to do photography and spent time with elephants in the elephant rescue centre.
Q4- Can you please share your journey of becoming an IFS officer?
Answer: I did my BSc Agriculture in Coimbatore, during which I travelled to nearby National parks and Sancturies, such as Anamalai, Silent valley, Mudumalai and Bandipur, where I was fascinated with the forest service. Then I move for my post graduation to IARI, Pusa. During my study there I came to know about civil services and after my MSc I started writing for civil services examination and cleared for forest service.
Q5- Can you please share any tips or advice to our readers who aspires to become IFS officer like you?
Answer: Indian Forest Service is a very satisfying job and also challenging job. If anyone wants to work in forest for nature and wildlife, then Indian Forest Service gives excellent opportunities.
Q6- What are the biggest challenges you faced in your life and did you overcome them?
Answer: Rescuing and rehabilitating of elephants back to wild, particularly in Dhenkanal, often we had to rescue elephants and releasing back into the wild is a very difficult job, but for the first time we could succeed to successfully rehabilitate.
Q7-In our district we notice human-elephant conflict many times, what are the steps taken to tackle it?
Answer: To prevent the loss of life is our first priority. In Dhenkanal during 2020-21 thirty three people died because of human-elephant conflict. Because of this we started “Gaja Sathi” programme, in which many village volunteers called “Gaja Sathi” were trained and supported to tackle human-elephant conflict because of which number of human deaths( 2021-22) as of today has decreased by 50 percent.
Q8- What message would you like to share with our readers?
Answer: My message is to everyone should contribute directly or indirectly for protection of nature or wildlife. The first step can be not to pollute the environment by throwing polythene in nature.
