Wildlife Institute of India Dehradun Answered Questions

Hi Rishav,
Here is the eligibility criteria for pursuing this course. Please see if you fulfil the criteria or not:
A candidate is considered eligible for the Certificate in wildlife management if he or she has obtained a class 10th pass certificate and possess a Secondary School Leaving Certificate. A candidate who has passed class 12th with biology is given more preference.

Yes, you are eligible.
Indian applicants with a Bachelor's degree in any discipline (including those in the final year of graduation) with a minimum of 60% marks in the core subjects are eligible to apply. Central, South and Southeast Asian nationals with similar qualifications are also eligible.

M.Sc Wildlife Sciences or Master of Science in Wildlife Sciences is a postgraduate Agriculture Science and Technology course. Wildlife Science is the study that not only seeks to meet the increasing demand for research and monitoring of wildlife and their habitats, and provide trained biologists to further the cause of wildlife conservation, but also served as a model for developing higher education elsewhere in the country. The duration of M.Sc. in Wildlife Sciences is mostly of two academic years but it varies from institute to institute. The Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun is providing in two years. The minimum time to complete the course is also two years.

Yes, physics students can apply for the wildlife science course at Wildlife Institute of India. You are eligible for this. Also, if you are looking for something quick, there are a few short-term courses that teach you all that you learn in a Master's course like PRiMER, a week-long certificate course offered by Gubbi Labs twice a year. Do check out their website and see if they have any courses coming up soon. It is an extensive and intensive course on ecology and wildlife from the research perspective.

There was a time, not so long ago, when most zoo directors came up through the ranks within the institution. These were often biologists or veterinarians who held various roles until they eventually rose to director after many years of service and leadership. To be sure, many current (and probably future) zoo directors took this route. However the times are changing.
Managing a zoo is an increasingly complex undertaking. Beyond overseeing a staff of hundreds, zoo directors are also tasked with leading international conservation efforts, overseeing enormous budgets and varied revenue streams (i.e. tickets, concessions, membership, gifts, events, municipal contributions, etc.) and launching multimillion dollar fundraising campaigns to build modern exhibits. They also have to manage a diverse group of stakeholders, including members, local government, conservationists, activists, donors (both corporate and individual) and their own employees. Just because you love animals, doesn't mean you'll love multiple weekly finance meetings about your zoo's operating budget :) Consequently many zoos and zoo boards are now looking for leaders with substantial general management experience in addition to a clear passion for and commitment to animal welfare and conservation.
Long story short, working your way up through a zoo is a fine option but so is building your leadership skills in a corporate or large non-profit environment. Just make sure you continue to learn about and contribute to the zoo world while you develop professionally elsewhere.
Finally if you truly want to be a zoo director, and this goes for many other zoo professions as well, be prepared to move wherever there is an opening. There are about 230 zoos and aquariums accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) in North America and most of these are not in major cities (think the opposite). Zoo directors often stay in their roles for many, many years so openings are limited. Many zoo directors in major cities were offered the role after doing an outstanding job at a smaller zoo somewhere relatively remote.