IFS Exam

What is IFS Exam?

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.

Indian Forest Service (IFS) 2019

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 2019 examination. The UPSC IFS Preliminary Exam 2019 will take place on June 2, 2019, Whereas the IFS Main exam will be held on start from December 01, 2019.

The online registration process will start from February 19, 2019, and it will end on March 18, 2019. 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 2019 Exam.

Eligibility Criteria

1. Physical Criteria

   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. 

2. Nationality:

   A candidate must be

   • A citizen of India, or
   • The subject of Nepal, or
   • The subject of Bhutan, or
   • Tibetan refugee who came over to India before 1st January 1962 with the intention of permanently settling in India, or
   • A person of Indian origin who has migrated from Pakistan, Burma, Sri Lanka, East African countries like Kenya, Uganda, the United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, Zaire, Ethiopia, and Vietnam with the intention of permanently settling in India
   • Candidate belonging to categories b, c, d, and e should produce a certificate of eligibility, which has been issued by the Government of India.

   Centers in India

   • The Examination will be held at the most of states Centres in India like Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, Gujarat etc.
   • Applicants should note that there will be a ceiling on the number of candidates allotted to each of the Centres, except Chennai, Dispur,
     Kolkata and Nagpur
   • Allotment of Centres will be on the "first-apply-first allot" basis, and once the capacity of a particular Centre is attained, the same will be frozen
   • The Main Examination will be held on the following Centres like Bhopal, Chennai, Delhi, Dispur (Guwahati), Hyderabad, Kolkata, Lucknow, Nagpur, Port Blair and Shimla

3. Educational Qualification:

   • Candidate should hold a Bachelor’s degree with at least one of the subjects namely, Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Science, Botany, Chemistry, Geology, Mathematics, Physics, Statistics and Zoology or a Bachelor’s degree in Agriculture or Forestry or Engineering of a recognised university or equivalent.
   • Candidates appearing for their degree examination (with prescribed subjects) can also apply. If they qualify on the result of the written part of the examination, they have to submit the proof of passing the required examination along with their detailed application form to be filled in at that stage.

4. Age Limit :

   Age of a candidate should be minimum 21 years and maximum of 32 years on 1st July of the year of examination. While the upper age limit will be relaxable in the following cases:

   • For Scheduled Caste/ Scheduled Tribe (SC /ST): Up to 5 years
   • Other Backward Classes (OBC): Up to 3 years
   • State of Jammu & Kashmir (Domiciled during the period from the 1st January 1980 to 31st December 1989: Up to 5 years.
   • Defence Services personnel: Up to 5 years
   • Ex-servicemen including Commissioned officers and ECOs/SSCOs who have rendered at least 5 years Military Service as on and have been released: Up to 5 years
   • ECOs/ SSCOs: Up to a maximum of five years.

   (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)

   • Blind, deaf-mute and Orthopaedically handicapped persons: Up to 10 years.

   Cumulative Age relaxation:

   • SC, ST and the OBC who are also covered under other clauses mentioned above will be eligible to grant cumulative age-relaxation under both the categories

5. Number of attempts:

   The maximum number of attempts restricted for candidates are as follows: 

   • General Candidates: 6 attempts
   • Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe Candidates: No restriction
   • Other Backward Classes: 9 attempts
   • Physically handicapped- 9 attempts for general and OBC, while unlimited for SC/ST

   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.

Roles and Responsibilities

Few of the roles and responsibilities of Indian Forest Service (IFS) officer includes:

• One of the main roles of an IFS officer is to protect and conserve the heritage of the forest and working towards preserving the forest resources.
• Preserving the forest trees is another important task which needs to be taken seriously. As an officer one needs to keep a check on illegal logging of trees and work with the forest guards and security personnel to be alert at all times.
• As an officer one has to work towards planting more trees in the forest are and also initiate and participate in such events.
• Animals are another important forest resource and as a forest officer one needs to assure their safety and need to prevent any illegal activity that involves hurting or killing them. As an officer being alert of poachers and illegal entry in the forest area is also important.
• As an officer one will be responsible for implementing the National Forest Policy.
• As an officer one will have to chalk-out plans for legal commercial exploitation for timber etc.
• As an officer one will have to do the required paperwork and complete reports that have to be presented to the forest department and ministry.
• As an officer one will have to conduct regular surveys of the forest and guarantee that the work is rightly being done. Travelling will also be included.

Optional Subjects In Indian Forest Service (IFS) 

After Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination, the shortlisted candidates will be called for the main examination, which will be about 12 to 13 times the total number of vacancies. In the IFS Main Examination, candidates are required to select two optional subjects. 

Aspirants have to note that the following combination of optional subjects will not be allowed in the UPSC IFS Mains Exam:

• Agriculture and Agricultural Engineering
• Agriculture and Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Science
• Agriculture and Forestry
• Chemistry and Chemical Engineering
• Mathematics and Statistics
• Of the Engineering subjects, viz., Agricultural Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering and Mechanical Engineering - not more than one subject