What is Indian Forest service (IFS) Examination?

The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) conducts Indian Forest service (IFS) Examination for recruitment to the Indian Forest service. This examination is held in accordance with the rules published by the ministry of environment and forests in the Gazette of India. IFS examination is conducted at various centers all over India. The requirement changes every year and number of vacancies are filled based on the results of the examination.

IFS eligibility criteria:
Indian citizens between the ages 21 to 30 years are eligible to take up IFS examination. The candidate must hold a bachelor’s degree with at least one of the subjects namely botany, Chemistry, Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Science, Geology, Mathematics, Statistics, Physics and Zoology. Even a bachelor’s degree in forestry and agriculture are eligible for IFS examination. Candidates shall be permitted four attempts at the examination and candidates must be physically fit  according to physical standards for admission to Indian forest service examination.

IFS Syllabus
IFS examination comprises of a written examination followed by a personal interview. The written test consists of six papers:
Paper 1: General English (300 marks) – Candidates are required to write essay in English and questions will be designed to test candidates command over English language.
Paper 2: General Knowledge (300 marks) – In this section questions are based on current events and every day observation and experiences.
Paper 3, 4 , 5 and 6: Candidates can choose two subjects from the list of optional subjects.
1) Agriculture
2) Agriculture Engineering
3) Animal husbandry & Veterinary Science
4) Botany
5) Chemistry
6) Chemical Engineering
7) Civil Engineering
8) Forestry
9) Geology
10) Mathematics
11) Mechanical Engineering
12) Physics
13) Statistics
14) Zoology