UPSC conducts Indian Forest Service’s Exam for recruitment to forestry services of India. From 2013, exam pattern has changed. a new component of screening mechanism through Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination has been added. If you are applying for Indian Forests Service Examination, then you are required to appear in the Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination and qualify the same for going to the second stage of Indian Forests Services Main Examination (Written and Interview).
IFS Important Dates:
- Date of Notification: May
- Last Date to Apply: June
- Date of Exam (Prelims): August (CSAT)
- IFS Main Exam: November
IFS Exam Pattern:
| Paper | Subject | Marks |
| Paper I | General English | 300 |
| Paper II | General Knowledge | 300 |
| Paper III | Optional Subject 1 | 200 |
| Paper IV | Optional Subject 1 | 200 |
| Paper V | Optional Subject 2 | 200 |
| Paper VI | Optional Subject 2 | 200 |
After written examination, interview for personality test will be of 300 marks.
Change in IFS Exam 2013:
There has been a major change in the exam pattern of IFS exam from 2013 onwards. You have to apply and appear in Civil Services Preliminary exam to qualify for the IFS Mains exam. Till 2012, there was no preliminary screening exam and candidates used to appear in the IFS Mains exam directly.
CANDIDATES SHOULD NOTE THAT THE GOVERNMENT HAS CHANGED THE PATTERN OF INDIAN FORESTS SERVICE EXAMINATION BY INTROUDCING A COMPONENT OF SCREENING MECHANISM THROUGH CIVIL SERVICES (PRELIMINARY) EXAMINATION. ALL THE CANDIDATES APPLYING FOR INDIAN FORESTS SERVICE EXAMINATION ARE THEREFORE REQUIRED TO APPEAR IN THE CIVIL SERVICES (PRELIMINARY) EXAMINATION AND QUALIFY THE SAME FOR GOING TO THE SECOND STAGE OF INDIAN FORESTS SERVICES MAIN EXAMINATION (WRITTEN AND INTERVIEW) CANDIDATES DESIROUS OF APPLYING FOR INDIAN FOREST SERVICE EXAMINATION AS WELL AS FOR THE CIVIL SERVICES EXAMINATION CAN APPLY THROUGH A COMMON ONLINE APPLICATION FORM SUBJECT TO MEETING THE REQUISITE ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA BY THEM.
(B) PLAN OF EXAMINATION
The Indian Forest Service Examination will consist of two successive stages (vide Appendix I Section-I below).
- Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination (Objective type) for the selection of candidates for the Indian Forest Service (Main) Examination; and
- (ii) Indian Forest Service (Main) Examination (Written and Interview) for the selection of candidates for the Indian Forest Service. Applications are now invited for the Preliminary Examination only. Candidates who will be declared by the Commission to have qualified for admission to the Indian Forest Service (Main) Examination will have to apply again, in the Online detailed application form which would be made available on the Website of the Commission after declaration of results of Preliminary Examination. The Main Examination is likely to be held in September/ October.
- The number of vacancies to be filled on the results of the examination is expected to be approximately 85. The number of vacancies is liable to alteration. Reservation will be made for candidates belonging to Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Other Backward Classes and Physically Handicapped Categories in respect of vacancies as may be fixed by the Government.
Age Limits:
(a) A candidate must have attained the age of 21 years and must not have attained the age of 30 years on 1st August, 2013, i.e. he must have been born not earlier than 2nd August, 1983 and not later than 1st August, 1992.
(b) The upper age limit prescribed above will be relaxable:- (i) upto a maximum of five years If a candidate belongs to a Scheduled Caste or a Scheduled Tribe. (ii) upto a maximum of three years in the case of candidates belonging to Other Backward Classes who are eligible to avail of reservation applicable to such candidates.
Minimum Educational Qualifications:
The candidate must 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, Forestry or in Engineering of any of Universities incorporated by an Act of the Central or State Legislature in India or other educational institutions established by an Act of Parliament or declared to be deemed as a University Under Section 3 of the University Grants Commission Act, 1956, or possess an equivalent qualifications.
Number of Attempts:
Every candidate appearing at the Examination, who is otherwise eligible, shall be permitted four attempts at the examination.
Provided that this restriction on the number of attempts will not apply in the case of Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe candidates who are otherwise eligible.
Provided further that the number of attempts permissible to candidates belonging to Other Backward Classes, who are otherwise eligible, shall be seven.
An attempt at a Preliminary Examination shall be deemed to be an attempt at the Examination. (ii) If a candidate actually appears in any one paper in the Preliminary Examination, as a candidate for the Indian Forest Service (Main) Examination, he/she shall be deemed to have made an attempt at the Examination.
PHYSICAL STANDARDS:
Candidates must be physically fit according to physical standards for admission to Indian Forest Service Examination, 2013 as per regulations given in Appendix-III of the rules for the Indian Forest Service examination, 2013 published in Gazette of India dated 5th March, 2013.
FEE Candidates applying (excepting Females/SC/ST/PH candidates who are exempted from payment of fee) for Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination are required to pay a fee of Rs. 100/- (Rupees one Hundred only).
Plan of Examination:
The competitive examination comprises two successive stages: (i) Civil services (Preliminary) Examination (Objective Type) for the screening & selection of candidates for Indian Forest Service (Main) Examination; and (ii) Indian Forest Service (main) Examination (Written and Interview) of the selection of candidates against the vacancies identified and reported for the Indian Forest Service Examination.
The Main Examination will consist of written examination and an interview test. The written examination will consist of 6 papers of conventional essay type in the subjects set out in sub-section (B) of Section II. Also see Note (ii) under para I of Section II (B). 4 Candidates who obtain such minimum qualifying marks in the written part of the Main Examination as may be fixed by the Commission at their discretion, shall be summoned by them for an interview for a Personality Test vide sub-section ‘C’ of Section II. The number of candidates to be summoned for interview will be about twice the number of vacancies to be filled. The interview will carry 300 marks (with no minimum qualifying marks). Marks thus obtained by the candidates in the Main Examination (written part as well as interview) would determine their final ranking.
- Main Examination:
The written examination consisting of the following papers:
Paper I – General English 300 Marks
Paper II – General Knowledge 300 Marks
Paper III, IV, V and VI – any two subjects to be selected from the list of the optional subjects set out in para 2 below.
- Interview for Personality Test:
(See (C) of Section II of this Appendix) of such candidates as may be called by the Commission-Maximum Marks: 300
List of optional subjects: (i) Agriculture (ii) Agricultural Engineering (iii) Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Science (iv) Botany (v) Chemistry (vi) Chemical Engineering (vii) Civil Engineering (viii) Forestry (ix) Geology (x) Mathematics (xi) Mechanical Engineering (xii) Physics (xiii) Statistics (xiv) Zoology.
Provided that the candidates will not be allowed to offer the following combination of subjects:
(a) Agriculture and Agricultural Engineering (b) Agriculture and Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Science (c) Agriculture and Forestry (d) Chemistry and Chemical Engineering (e) Mathematics and Statistics (f) of the Engineering subjects viz. Agricultural Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering and Mechanical Engineering- not more than one subject; NOTE: The standard and syllabi of the subjects mentioned above are given in Section III General: 1. All the question papers for the examination will be of conventional (essay) type.
ALL QUESTION PAPERS MUST BE ANSWERED IN ENGLISH; QUESTION PAPERS WILL BE SET IN ENGLISH ONLY.
The duration of each of the papers referred to above will be three hours. 4 Candidates must write the papers in their own hand. In no circumstances will they be allowed the help of a scribe to write the answers for them. However, blind candidates will be allowed to write the examination with the help of a scribe. An extra time of 30 minutes for each paper will also be allowed to a blind candidate.
Candidates should use only international form of Indian numerals (e.g. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 etc.) while answering question papers. 11 candidates will be allowed the use of Scientific (Non-programmable type) calculators at the conventional type examination of UPSC, Programmable type calculators will however not be allowed and the use of such calculators shall tantamount to resorting to unfair means by the candidates. Loaning and interchanging of calculators in the Examination hall is not permitted.
PERSONALITY TEST:
The Candidate will be interviewed by a Board of competent and unbiased observers who will have before them a record of his/her career. The object of the interview is to assess the personal suitability of the candidate for the service. The candidate will be expected to have taken an intelligent interest not only in his/her subjects of academic stud but also in events which are happening around him/her both within and outside his/her own state or country, as well as in modem currents of thoughts and in new discoveries which should rouse the curiosity of well educated youth.
The technique of the interview is not that of a strict cross examination, but of natural, though directed and purposive conversation, intended to reveal mental qualities of the candidate. The Board will pay special attention to assessing the intellectual curiosity, critical powers of observation and assimilation, balance of judgment and alertness of mind, initiative, tact, capacity for leadership; the ability for social cohesion, mental and physical energy and powers of practical application; integrity of character; and other qualities such as topographical sense, love for out-door life and the desire to explore unknown and out of way places.