Indian Forest Service is one of the Civil Services of India and belongs to the apex All India Services group, with other two All India Services being the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) and the Indian Police Service (IPS).

Eligibility and qualification criteria:


Age Limit: The age limit for Indian Forest Service Exam is 21 to 30 years as on 1st July of the relevant year.
The upper age limit relaxation will also be applicable as per the Government reservation rules.

Minimum Education Qualification: Graduation/bachelor’s degree is required to apply for UPSC IFS exam.

But you should also know that the bachelor’s degree must be cleared with one of the subjects named Animal Husbandry, Physics, Statistics and Zoology, Agriculture, Forestry, Engineering etc.

UPSC conducts Indian Forest Service’s Exam for recruitment to forestry services of India. In IFS exam you have to clear two rounds.

First is written and second is Personal Interview.

(i) Preliminary Examination: The exam will have two papers, which are compulsory, and having 200 marks each. The duration of each paper will be of 2 hours. Extra time of 20 minutes will be available for blind candidates.

(ii) Main Examination: The following papers will be held for the Main IFS Exam.

Paper I -> General English -> 300 marks

Paper II -> General Knowledge -> 300 marks

Paper III, IV, V & VI – Any two subjects to be selected from the list of optional subjects set out below. Each subject will have two papers. -> 200 marks each

The syllabus for optional subject is based on the Bachelors Degree and lowers than the Master Degree.

(iii) Interview for Personality Test: 300 marks

List of optional subjects (Subject to provisions below):

Agriculture
Agricultural Engineering
Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Science
Botany
Chemistry
Chemical Engineering
Civil Engineering
Forestry
Geology
Mathematics
Mechanical Engineering
Physics
Statistics
Zoology

Provided that the candidates will not be allowed to offer the following combination of subjects:
Agricultural and Agricultural Engineering
Agricultural and Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Science
Chemistry and Chemical Engg.
Mathematics and Statistics.