The Indian Forest Service, one of the three All India Services, was constituted in the year 1966 under the All India Services Act, 1951 by the Government of India. The main mandate of the service is the implementation of the National Forest Policy which envisages scientific management of forests and to exploit them on a sustained basis for primary timber products. It has also been assigned with the immense challenges of protection, conservation, regeneration and development of forests and bio-diversity.
The recruitment to the Indian Forest Services (IFS) is made by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). The candidates selected to the Indian Forest Service are recruited and trained by the Central Government and then allotted to different state cadres.
Eligibility Criteria
Age: Should be between 21 years and 30 years (Upper age limit is relaxable for SCs/STs, OBCs and certain other categories) as on 1st July of the year of applying.
Educational Qualification: Should hold a Bachelor’s degree with at least one of the following subjects:
- Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Science
- Botany
- Chemistry
- Geology
- Mathematics
- Physics
- Statistics
- Zoology
OrA Bachelor’s degree in Agriculture or Forestry, Engineering (agricultural, civil, mechanical and chemical of any of Universities incorporated by an Act of the Central or State Legislature in India or other educational institutions established by an Act of Parliament or declared to be deemed as a University Under Section 3 of the University Grants Commission Act, 1956, or possess an equivalent qualification..
NationalityA candidate must be either :—
(a) A citizen of India, or
(b) A subject of Nepal, or
(c) A subject of Bhutan, or
(d) A Tibetan refugee who came over to India before 1st January, 1962 with the intention of permanently settling in India.
Or(e) A person of Indian origin who has migrated from Pakistan, Burma, Sri Lanka, East African countries of Kenya, Uganda, the United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, Zaire, Ethiopia and Vietnam with the intention of permanently settling in India.
A candidate belonging to categories (b), (c), (d) and (e) shall be a person in whose favour a certificate of eligibility has been issued by the Government of India.
A candidate in whose case a certificate of eligibility is necessary, may be admitted to the examination but the offer of appointment may be given only after the necessary eligibility certificate has been issued to him by the Government of India.
Number of Attempts: Every candidate appearing at the Examination, who is otherwise eligible, shall be permitted four attempts at the examination.
Physical Fitness: Candidates must be physically fit according to physical standards for admission to Indian Forest Service Examination as per regulations given in Appendix-III of the rules for the Indian Forest Service Examination published in Gazette of India in the year of examination or as specified in the examination notification.
