He chose wildlife to corporate life. Studied the language of C, C++, Java, Oracle, he now tries to understand the a, b, c of flora and fauna inside the deep forests.
Meet Rakesh Barik (28) of Pancharukhi village in Odisha's coastal Balasore district. A BTech in Computer Science, Rakesh has recently joined as a forest guard under the Soro forest range of Balasore wildlife division. He, being an engineer is perhaps the first in the State to take up the job.
At a time when the Gen-Y is aspiring to carve a niche for itself in the corporate world, this village lad opted to protect environment and take care of wildlife by donning khaki. He says his love for the green environment and urge to protect the crumbling forests and endangered wildlife drove him to go for the job.
An alumnus of Bhubaneswar-based Institute of Technical Education and Research (ITER) Rakesh had joined a software firm at Hyderabad after the completion of his bachelor degree in engineering in 2008, but the job did not allure him.
He then prepared for MTech and cleared the Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) in 2011. Though he was about to get a seat in the NIT Durgapur, he instead opted for the State Government job.
"Simultaneously, I was also appearing the competitive examinations.
Fortunately, I was selected for the forest guard job. As it was related to environment and wildlife I went for it without a second thought," he said.
Rakesh joined the job on May 28 with a monthly salary of around Rs 11,700 which is meager compared to the salary of a BTech engineer in the corporate world. With the global recession affecting the industries, he feels a
Government job is always better than a private one.
The engineer-turned-forest guard said initially his family was against his job. But later he managed to convince them. While his father Nabakishore Barik, an employee at a local PHC and mother Sushila Barik always wanted to see him as an engineer, he had an inclination towards forest and environment since his childhood.
"In fact, I did not tell them when I was selected. After joining, I informed about my job to my family members," he said. After a seven-day orientation programme in Kuldiha sanctuary, he is now posted at Paikapada beat house.
Asked if he feels awkward to work as a forest guard going by his qualification, he says he is proud of his job. "My elder brother Rajesh is my inspiration. The interest in wildlife and environment has been developed since our childhood. In fact, we have planted nearly 100 teak plants in an acre of our land," Rakesh who loves to do paintings during leisure said.
Senior forest officials have welcomed the engineer. Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Kedar Swain said Rakesh has set an example for others and is an inspiration for this generation who hardly take any interest in forestry job.