Indian Forest Service focuses on implementing National Forest Policy through sustainable management and protection of natural resources.
IFS the Indian Forest Service is a part of 3 civil services of All-India Services (AIS) along with the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), the Indian Police Service (IPS). The candidates selected through these are recruited by the Central and Union Government and are allotted under various State cadres.
They serve both the State and Centre. Indian Forest Services offers candidates the position in state forest departments. Their major role is to ensure ecological stability by implementing the National Forest Policy.
IFS Eligibility
To become an IFS officer, candidates must clear the Civil Service Examination conducted by the UPSC. They also act as the conducting body of the IFS Prelims exam.
You must fill up and submit the application form and information brochure from any head or standard post office. The IFS examination notification is published in December in the country's leading newspapers, such as the Times of India. It will contain all the relevant details about the rules and syllabus of the IFS exam.
You'd have to follow the points below in chronological order to jumpstart your career as an IFS officer.
- Indian Forest Service Preliminary Examination
- Indian Forest Service Mains Examination
- Indian Forest Service Final Interview
- Indian Forest Service Officer Training
- Indian Forest Service Eligibility Criteria
- Indian Forest Service Reference Books
Indian Forest Service Preliminary Examination
Clearing the Civil Services Prelims exams is the first step. It's one of India's toughest exams, given that only a handful of candidates out of the lakhs that apply on an annual basis are selected to write the IFS Mains exam. The IFS Prelims exam is conducted every year. The Indian Forest Service exam comprises two objective-type papers, including general studies and an aptitude test. Each of them is worth 200 marks. Your final scores are not added to the final result.
Indian Forest Service Mains Examination
After successfully clearing the prelims exams, it's time for the mains exams. The exam has 2 stages: the written component and the final interview. The former will consist of 6 papers that ask you to write conventional essays.
It is divided into a few subjects and papers:
Paper 1, the general English paper, is worth 300 marks. The paper 1 Indian Forest Service syllabus are as follows,
- History of India and World Geography
- Indian Politics & Governance
- Current Events and General Science
- Economic and Social Development
- Environmental Ecology
- Biodiversity and Climate Change
Paper 2, the general studies paper, is worth 300 marks. The paper 2 Indian Forest Service syllabus are,
- Metal Ability and Analytical Ability
- Interpersonal Skills with Communication Skill
- Logical Reasoning
- Decision Making and Problem Solving
- Basic Numeracy and Data Interpretation
Papers 3, 4, 5, and 6: This paper consists of two optional subjects from the tabulated data below. Each paper is worth 200 marks.
| Sociology | Geography | Political Science |
| Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Science | Zoology | Economics |
| Statistics | Mathematics | Commerce |
| Mechanical Engineering | Electrical Engineering | Physics |
| Civil Engineering | Botany | Geology |
| Chemistry | Psychology | Agriculture |
| Public Administration | Indian History | - |
| Philosophy | Law | - |
Indian Forest Service Final Interview
The board of IFS officers will interview the candidate.
Their assessment will be based on the following categories:
- Intellectual Curiosity
- Powers of Observation
- Balance of Judgment
- Leadership Capacity
- Powers of Practical Application
- Integrity of Character
Indian Forest Service Officer Training
On clearing the mains examination, the probation officers are trained for about two years by the Central Government at Indira Gandhi National Forest Academy. If the candidate passes all the training tests provided to them, they can finally get into the IFS as an IFS officer.
Indian Forest Service Eligibility Criteria
The IFS eligibility criteria are based on two factors: the educational qualifications you carry and your age. Based on this, you may or may not apply for the Civil Services Prelims exam.
For the most part, the qualification for an Indian Forest Service officer is the candidate must hold at least an undergraduate degree obtained from either any recognized university or an open university via regular education, correspondence, or distance education.
During the mains exam, the candidate must submit the following educational documents:
- An undergraduate degree certificate.
- The pass certificate from the final ICAI, ICSI, OR ICWAI exam.
The minimum age limit to apply is 21 years, and the maximum age limit to apply is 30 years as of 1 August on the year of the exam itself.
The following points show the age relaxation based on reserved categories you may fall under:
- OBC: Max 3 years
- SC/ST: Max 5 years
- Jammu/Kashmir citizen: Max 5 years
- Defence Services personnel: Max 5 years
- Ex-servicemen: Max 5 years
- ECOs/SSCOs who finished 5 years of military service: Max 5 years
- Blind, Deaf-Mute, or Orthopaedically Disabled person: Max 10 years
Indian Forest Service Reference Books
Though there are many reference books for the IFS exam, choosing the right book will help the candidates ace the examination.
Listed below are the top-recommended books that help you clear the IFS prelims and mains examinations.
| Books | Author/Publisher |
| Our Constitution | Subhash C Kashyap |
| Indian Constitution | PM Bakshi |
| Indian Polity | M Laxmikanth |
| Indian Economy | Sanjiv Verma |
| Economy sections | The Hindu |
| Class VI to XII | NCERT |
| India: A Comprehensive Geography | Khullar |
| School Atlas | Oxford |
| School Atlas | Orient Blackswan |
| Modern India | Bipin Chandra |
| Modern India | Rajiv Ahir/ Spectrum Publications |
What Does an Indian Forest Service Officer Do?
IFS is the only department under the Government of India that develops and enforces law and order based on jurisdiction. All other services only improve upon it. Maintaining these tasks is difficult, but the IFS soldiers and officers have proved effective from time to time due to their capable skills.
Let's look at some of their duties and responsibilities.
- They protect the forests, national parks, wildlife sanctuaries, tiger reserves, etc., from eco-terrorists, poachers, etc. 21% of forest land in India is controlled by IFS officers.
- IFS officers can also handle wild animals in cases of any escaping captivity. They also supervise the majority of the animals kept in zoos.
- They implement various techniques to reduce, if not eliminate chances of, soil erosion by water and waste management around the populated areas of the forests.
- Based on the Forest Act, they will also look into jurisdiction within forests and wildlife. And there are no specific Indian Forest Service officer uniforms, but they follow the camouflaged clothing while inside the forest.
Career Paths in the Indian Forest Services
All the candidates selected in the recruitment process will be given training for 2 years at the Indira Gandhi National Forest Academy. After two years as a fresher on the job, the candidate will receive a default promotion of Deputy Conservator of Forests (DCF) followed by a gradual promotion to Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF). It would take close to 15-20 years to secure these positions.
All of these roles and responsibilities include maintaining, preserving, identifying, and safeguarding the country's forests. Simply put, they are the heroes behind forest preservation and wildlife conservation.
Indian Forest Service Salary Offered
Every year lakhs of candidates write the Civil Services Exam conducted by UPSC. Being an IFS officer is a great honour. Hence they are also paid well for their efforts. They are paid during their training period as well. Moreover, they are provided with the privileges and incentives like that of other IFS officers.
The table below shows the basic salaries of Indian Forest Service officers in different roles.
| Indian Forest Service Officer Positions | Salary Per Month (INR) |
| Head of Forest Force | 2.25 Lakh |
| Principal Chief Conservator of Forests | 2.05 Lakh to 2.24 Lakh |
| Chief Wildlife Warden | 1.82 Lakh to 2.24 Lakh |
| Chief Conservator of Forests | 1.44 Lakh to 2.18 Lakh |
| Conservator of Forests | 1.31 Lakh to 2.16 Lakh |
| Deputy Conservator of Forests (Selection Grade) | 1.23 Lakh to 2.15 Lakh |
| Deputy Conservator of Forests | 78,800 to 2.09 Lakh |
| Probationary Officer/ Assistant Conservator of Forests | 56,100 to 1.77 Lakh |
Benefits of Being an Indian Forest Services Officer
In addition to the steady monthly pay, IFS officers enjoy great privileges and incentives from the government.
Below are the benefits and perks of being an Indian Forest Service officer.
- Free Travels and Accommodations: the job demands fieldwork from the officers, and the need to travel lots arises automatically. The government bears the expense of travel and accommodation for the officers and the family.
- Free Housing: when officers are posted to places, they are provided with houses in reputed colonies and are allowed to shift their families.
- House Helps: they are provided with free domestic helpers, like maids, cleaners, chefs, and security guards.
- Medical Benefits: the officers and their families receive medical benefits covered by the government for their entire term.
- Transport: the officers are given cars and a driver assigned by the government for their work-related travels.
- Other Commodities: electricity, water, and phone bills are paid by the government itself.
- Special Allowances: officers are provided with incentives or bonuses for their over-the-top performances.
- Post-retirement Benefits: After the members' retirement, they are given regular pensions monthly and on time.
- Study Leaves: if the officer wishes to go abroad for higher studies, they are given the liberty to take leaves as needed.
History of Indian Forest Services
In retrospect, the IFS was called the Forest Services in India; it was part of the British government since 1867. Back then, the available area in the forest was denser than the current state it's in. Hence, there was a great need for additional IFS officers. The service was kept active until 1935, when it was withdrawn by the British due to various reasons. Once India gained independence, the Government of India resuscitated the service in 1966 and renamed it the Indian Forest Services as we know it today.
The IFS exam is strictly an English medium exam, making it one of the least popular exams in the country. It is possibly due to the need for multilingual support the candidates need, without which they cannot write the exam. In a multicultural country such as India, this is entirely understandable.
