The Indian Forest Service (IFS) is one of the Civil Services Examination conducted by Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) for the recruitment officers at the All India level by the Government of India for the scientific management of its forests.
Importance
IFS is one of the three All India Services. The exam is conducted for recruitment to forestry services of India. The other two All India Services being Indian Administrative Service (IAS) and Indian Police Service (IPS).
Indian Forest Service is one of the Civil Services of India and belongs to the apex All India Services group. IFS services are placed under various State cadres and joint cadres though they have the mandate to serve both under the State and Central Governments.
The main mandate of IFS service is the implementation of the National Forest Policy which aims to ensure environmental stability and maintenance of ecological balance.
An IFS officer is largely independent of district administration and exercises administrative, judicial and financial powers in their own domain. All top positions in the state forest department are held by IFS officers.
In order to become an Indian Forest Service officer, candidates need to appear for the examination conducted by UPSC. The IFS selection procedure consists of three stages – preliminary, main examination and personality test.
Aspirants have to note that they need to appear for the Civil Services (Preliminary) examination and qualify the same for the second phase of the examination, i.e., IFS (Main Examination). Candidates who qualify in the Civil Services (Preliminary) and meet the eligibility criteria of IFS will be shortlisted for the IFS Main Examination.
The desiring candidates can apply for the Indian Forest Service examination through a common online application form of Civil Services Examination (CSE). The applicant has to submit the application form through online mode only. The important details regarding IFS 2019 are given below.
The UPSC has released the tentative dates of Indian Forest Service Prelims & Main 2020 examination. The UPSC IFS Preliminary Exam 2020 will take place on October 4, 2020, Whereas the IFS Main exam will be held on start from February 28, 2021.
The online registration process will start from February 12, 2020, and it will end on March 03, 2020. The applicant has to submit the application form through online mode only, but there is no offline mode. Click here to know the important dates of the IFS 2020 Exam.
Indian Forest Service 2020 | |
IFS 2020 Notification | February 12, 2020 |
Organising body | Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) |
Exam mode | Offline |
Number of attempts | 6 |
Number of vacancies | 90 (approximately) |
Starting date to apply online | February 12, 2020 |
Last date to apply online | March 03, 2020 |
IFS Admit card | September 2020 |
Preliminary exam | October 4, 2020 |
Preliminary result | November 2020 |
IFS Main Examination | February 28, 2021 (10 days) |
IFS Main result | March 2021 |
IFS Interview | April 2021 |
IFS final result | May 2021 |
The UPSC has released the Indian Forest Service (IFS) Examination 2020 notification on February 12, 2020. The IFS (preliminary) notification was released through the Civil Service (Preliminary) Examination 2020. Candidates who are aiming for the Indian Forest Service (IFS) can apply online between February 12 and March 03, 2020. The IFS 2020 notification was released for approximately 90 vacancies. However, the number of vacancies is liable to alteration.
Download UPSC IFS notification (2020)
The total number of vacancies announced in the official notification is approximately 90. However, candidates belonging to SC, ST, OBC, Economically Weaker Section (EWS) and PWD categories will be provided with the reservation according to the Government. According to the official notification released by the UPSC, a few vacancies are reserved. Check the details below.
Total number of vacancies | 90 (approximately) |
Reserved vacancies | 3 |
Low Vision category: 1 | |
Partially Deaf category: 1 | |
Locomotor disability (sub‐category: Leprosy cured and Acid attack): 1 |
Aspirants have to note that the final number of vacancies indicated are liable to further alteration.
Candidates who are aspiring for the Indian Forest Service (IFS) should apply only through the Civil Services (Preliminary). There is no separate IFS application form. However, there are a few important points aspirants should know before IFS registration.
Interested candidates are advised to visit our IFS online application form 2020 page for detailed information. One can also check the exam fee, exam dates and other important details here.
Aspirants must be physically fit according to the physical standards for admission to Indian Forest Service Examination. Candidates are advised to visit the IFS official notification to check the detailed rules and regulations.
A candidate must be
Centers in India
Age of a candidate should be minimum 21 years and maximum of 32 years on 1st August, 2020 of the year of examination, i.e. he must have been born not earlier than 2nd August, 1988 and not later than 1st August, 1999. While the upper age limit will be relaxable in the following cases:
(Ministry of Defence issues a certificate that they can apply for civil employment and that they will be released on three month's notice on selection from the date of receipt of offer of appointment)
Cumulative Age relaxation:
The maximum number of attempts restricted for candidates are as follows:
Appearing for one or more papers of an examination will be counted as an attempt at the examination even if the candidate failed to qualify for the selection.
The UPSC has released the IFS 2019 reserve list. Candidates can check the list on the official site of UPSC on upsc.gov.in. A total of 829 candidates were shortlisted for the exam. A total of 89 candidates have been recommended in the IFS 2019 merit list which includes 73 General, 14 OBC, 01 EWS, and 01 SC.
The official notice reads, "The result of the Civil Services (Main) Examination, 2019 was declared vide Press Note dated 04.08.2020 recommending 829 candidates in order of merit for appointment to IAS, IFS, IPS and Central Services Group ‘A’ and Group ‘B’ against 927 vacancies."
As per the sources, four candidates are provisional and the result of one candidate has been kept withheld.
5 January 2021
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has invited applications from qualified and experienced IFS officers for appointment against Forestry posts at the levels of DIGF and AIGF on deputation to be posted across India on a fulltime basis. The offline applications will be accepted till February 06, 2021.
Click Here To Apply For Forestry Posts
Aspirants should send the application in the prescribed format. One should satisfy all the prerequisite to apply for the post.
29 December 2020
The UPSC has released the Indian Forest Service (IFS) Main examination 2020 time-table. The written examinations will be conducted from February 28 to March 7, 2021.
Candidates who were shortlisted for the Mains examination are advised to check the exam dates on the official website. One should note that there will be no paper on March 1 mentioned as a rest day.
The Commission will be releasing the admit card soon on the official website.
8 December 2020
The UPSC has released IFS 2020 (Main) DAF Application Form. Candidates who have qualified in the UPSC Preliminary exam can fill UPSC DAF form 2020 from the official website - www.upsc.nic.in. The last date to fill UPSC IFS detailed application form-I (DAF-I) is November 27.
Earlier, the UPSC has released the IFS result 2020 on October 23 at the official website. As per the sources, the UPSC IFS 2020 Mains exam will be conducted from February 28 to March 07, 2021.
17 November 2020
The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has announced the Indian Forest Service (Prelims) 2020 result on October 23. Candidates can check their result through their roll number. The Commission has also released the Civil Services Prelims result along with IFS result.
Candidates who have qualified in the IFS Preliminary 2020 exam have to fill the DAF for Main examination 2020 between November 16 and 27, 2020 till 06:00 P.M.
The Commission has conducted the IFS Prelims 2020 exam on October 4. The Main exam will be held from February 28, onwards.
24 October 2020