Indian Forest Service (IFoS)

 The Indian Administrative Service (IAS) and the Indian Police Service (IPS) are the other two All India Services of the Union Government, together with the Indian Forest Service (IFoS). Although the service was first founded in 1864 as the Imperial Forest Service under the British Raj, it was not until 1966 that it was constituted in its current form. You may read everything there is to know about the Indian Forest Service Exam in this page, including the format, requirements, application process, pay scale, and more.

Indian Forest Service Exam Eligibility:-

The eligibility conditions for the IFoS exam can be categorized under four headings as under:

1. Nationality
2. Age limit
3. Number of attempts
4. Education

Nationality, age restriction, and maximum number of attempts are all based on the same standards as the civil services test.

• On the other hand, the requirements for the Forest Service Exam varies in terms of education.
• The IFoS test demands a bachelor's degree in science or engineering from a university approved by UPSC, whereas the civil services require any bachelor's degree.
• A bachelor's degree in at least one of the following fields is required of the candidate: zoology, botany, chemistry, geology, mathematics, statistics, physics, animal husbandry & veterinary science

The candidate must have a Bachelor’s degree in agriculture, forestry or engineering.

Indian Forest Service Exam Pattern:-

The Indian Forest Service Exam is conducted in three rounds. A candidate has to clear one stage to qualify for the subsequent stage.

Stage 1: Prelims Exam:-

• The UPSC IAS Prelims test and the IFoS Prelims exam are the same. There are two papers that are objective in nature: GS I and CSAT.
• Because there are far fewer openings for the IFoS exam than for the IAS exam, the cutoff is higher for the former.

Stage 2: Mains Exam:-

• There are 6 papers in the IFoS mains exam.
• All are descriptive in nature. Each paper is for a duration of 3 hours.
• There are two optional subjects candidates have to choose.

UPSC Indian Forest Service Mains Exam Papers:

Paper	Subject	Total marks
Paper I	General English	300
Paper II	General Knowledge	300
Paper III	Optional I	200
Paper IV	Optional I	200
Paper V	Optional II	200
Paper VI	Optional II	200

List of optional subjects (two to be chosen) available for the IFoS main exam:

1. Agriculture
2. Agricultural Engineering
3. Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Science
4. Botany
5. Chemical Engineering
6. Civil Engineering
7. Forestry
8. Mathematics
9. Mechanical Engineering
10. Physics
11. Statistics
12. Zoology
13. Geology
14. Chemistry.

IMPORTANT: Candidates must also note that all the papers will be only in English and this is the only medium of examination in the IFoS.

Stage 3: Interview:-

• The interview will be for a total of 300 marks.
• The candidate will be evaluated on a variety of topics, including general awareness, communication skills, intellectual curiosity, critical powers of observation and assimilation, initiative, tact, and leadership potential.
• A physical test will follow the interview. Here, male candidates have to complete a 25 km walk or run in under 4 hours, and female candidates have to complete a 14 km walk or run in less than 4 hours.