Candidates from the SC and ST categories are exempted from these constraints.
The Indian Forest Service (IFS) candidates have limited opportunities to undertake the UPSC exam.
The Indian Forest Service (IFS) is one of the top two services in the country, alongside the Indian Police Service (IPS). The recruitment for IFS officers is done through the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). UPSC releases the notification for IFS recruitment annually. IFS officers work in high positions in the Forest Department.
Similar to the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) and Indian Police Service (IPS), becoming an IFS officer requires clearing the UPSC Prelims, Mains, and Interview rounds. The opportunities to appear for the exams are limited, with general category candidates allowed six attempts, OBC candidates nine attempts, and no limit for SC and ST category candidates. After clearing the UPSC Prelims, Mains, and Interview, selected candidates undergo two years of training.
The training for Indian Forest Service officers takes place at the Indira Gandhi National Forest Academy in Dehradun. The institution was known as the Indian Forest College until 1987 and was established in 1938 for the training of senior forest officers. It is located on the campus of the Forest Research Institute in Dehradun.
Eligibility Criteria For IFS
To become an Indian Forest Service officer, the age should be a minimum of 21 years and a maximum of 32 years, which is also the criteria to appear for the UPSC exams. Reserved category candidates have relaxation in the maximum age limit. Educational qualifications include a graduation degree in subjects like Animal Husbandry, Veterinary Science, Botany, Chemistry, Geology, Mathematics, Physics, Statistics, and Zoology, or Agriculture and forestry.
Furthermore, the UPSC exam rank decides if one would get into the IFS or not. Mostly, a UPSC rank between 80 to 130 can make a general category candidate eligible for the IFS. However, the actual rank-wise post allocations could vary. If selected, the salary for Indian Forest Service officers is in the pay scale of Rs 56,100 to Rs 2,25,000, and they receive various allowances and benefits in addition to the salary. While the lower salary band remains the same for an IAS officer, the upper band is exceeded to Rs 2,50,000, significantly higher than an IFS officer. On the contrary, the salary range for the IPS post is the same as IFS.