The Chief Minister's Office of Uttarakhand announced on Saturday, 18 July 2026 that Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami participated virtually from the Chief Minister's residence auditorium in a certificate-distribution ceremony held at the Phanto Zone of the Tarai Western Forest Division, Ramnagar, where 180 trained nature guides — both men and women — received employment registration certificates.

Context

Addressing the gathering virtually, CM Dhami said these certificates are 'not merely employment documents but proof of the skill, hard work and commitment to nature conservation of our youth' (ये प्रमाण-पत्र केवल रोजगार का दस्तावेज नहीं हैं, बल्कि युवाओं के कौशल, मेहनत और प्रकृति संरक्षण के प्रति उनकी प्रतिबद्धता का प्रमाण हैं). He expressed particular satisfaction that many of the recipients had reversed their migration, returning from cities to their home villages and the state.

Senior forest department officials, elected representatives, nature guides and a large number of local residents attended the event at Phanto Zone. The ceremony marked a concrete step in the state's effort to turn forest landscapes into platforms for certified, community-driven livelihoods.

Policy Backdrop

Since Uttarakhand's formation in 2000, successive governments have pursued eco-tourism development around protected areas, particularly in the Corbett–Ramnagar landscape. Post-2020 state schemes accelerated nature-guide training, homestay promotion and skill certification as tools to keep rural youth within the state.

CM Dhami credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi's guidance for broadening the state's tourism vision beyond visitor footfall to encompass employment, self-employment, local economy and reverse migration. He listed homestay tourism, winter tourism, adventure tourism, eco-tourism, wellness tourism, destination weddings and spiritual tourism as active sectors generating new opportunities. The government's stated goal is that nature conservation and the prosperity of communities living alongside forests must advance together.

As the state government marks five years in office, Dhami said Uttarakhand has established 'new dimensions in development, good governance, employment generation and public welfare.' He described eco-tourism and nature-guide initiatives as central to delivering dignified livelihoods to youth within their own villages.

Phanto Zone as a Model

CM Dhami described Phanto Zone as having evolved from a tourism destination into 'an excellent model of eco-tourism and community-based tourism' (ईको-टूरिज्म और समुदाय आधारित पर्यटन का उत्कृष्ट मॉडल). He highlighted the zone's rich biodiversity, dense forests, tranquil environment and wildlife as drawing domestic and international tourists alike.

The zone is also building a distinct identity for tiger sightings, and its tree houses are providing visitors with an immersive nature experience. Tourism activity at the zone is generating state revenue while simultaneously delivering economic returns to local communities.

The CM said the benefits of eco-tourism are reaching local youth, women, homestay operators, small traders, vehicle drivers, local product manufacturers and rural families through employment and self-employment opportunities.

Stakeholders and What's Next

The 180 certified nature guides — described by Dhami as 'sentinels of Uttarakhand's forests, partners in wildlife conservation and brand ambassadors of the state's culture, tradition and the spirit of Atithi Devo Bhava' — now enter a formal employment registry that links them to tourism operators and government schemes.

The Chief Minister called on all nature guides and residents of the state to pledge commitment to wildlife and nature conservation, environmental awareness, village prosperity and connecting local youth to employment. The government has cited a 44 per cent rise in reverse migration as evidence that Uttarakhand's villages are becoming centres of new possibility, not just nostalgia — signalling that similar nature-guide certification drives could be extended to other forest divisions across the state.