Indian Forest Service

Indian Forest Service (IFS) is one of the prestigious All India Services like Indian Administrative Service (IAS) or Indian Police Service (IPS). To get into IFS, a candidate has to sit for the same preliminary exam as all civil service aspirants do.Recruitment of IFS officers is done

Eligibility of IFS Officer

Nationality: A candidate must be a citizen of India, or Nepal, or 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

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.

Age Limit: Age of a candidate should be minimum 21 years and maximum 30 years on 1st July of the year of examination.

Roles and Responsibilities of IFS Officers

An IFS officer is entrusted with the task of protection, preservation and conservation and development of forests. IFS officers undergo training in forestry and allied subjects at the Indira Gandhi National Forest Academy in Dehradun and after successful completion of probation period and four years of service, they are appointed as Senior Time Scale and are entitled to be posted as Divisional Forest Officers or Deputy Conservators of Forests in charge of Forest Divisions.

Indian Forest Service officers may also opt for higher education in Indian and international institutions. These officers may be deputed to the Central Government including appointments in other Ministries, Departments, Institutes, Academies etc. Deputation of IFS officers is also permissible to foreign governments, UN bodies, international organisations, NGOs, voluntary organisations, etc.