UPSC IFOS 2023 RECRUITMENT
On February 1, the Union Public Service Commission issued an official UPSC IFOS exam notification 2023. Interested and qualified candidates may apply by visiting the Union Public Service Commission’s official website until February 21, 2023. The Commission will hold a Screening Test in order to select candidates for the Indian Forest Service (Main) Examination, 2023, through the Civil Services (Preliminary) Exam 2023.
The IFOS is one of the Union Government’s three All India Services, the other two being the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) and the Indian Police Service (IPS). It was established in its current form in 1966, but the service dates back to 1864 when it was known as the Imperial Forest Service under British Rule. Read this article, to read everything you need to know about the Indian Forest Service Exam, before applying including the exam pattern, syllabus, how to apply, and much more.
IMPORTANT DATES FOR UPSC INDIAN FOREST SERVICES EXAMINATION 2023
| Event | Date |
| Notification release date | 01-02-2023 |
| Application starts on | 01-02-2023 |
| Last date to apply | 21-02-2023 |
| Preliminary examination | 28-05-2023 |
| Mains examination (tentative) | November 2023 |
UPSC FOREST SERVICES EXAMINATION UPDATES 2023
| Exam name | Indian Forest Services |
| Exam conducting body | Union Public Service Commission |
| Application dates | 1st February to 21st February 2023 |
| Vacancy details | 150 (Tentative) |
| Application mode | Online |
| Application Fee | INR 100/- [SC/ST/ Female/Persons with Benchmark Disability candidates are exempted from payment of fee] |
| Official Website | Click Here |
| Official Notice | Click Here |
| Apply Link | Click Here |
UPSC IFOS ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA 2023
Nationality
A candidate must be either:
(a) A citizen of India, or
(b) a subject of Nepal, or
(c) a subject of Bhutan, or
(d) a Tibetan refugee who came over to India before 1st January 1962 with the intention of permanently settling in India, or
(e) a person of Indian origin who has migrated from Pakistan, Burma, Srilanka, East African countries of Kenya, Uganda, the United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, Zaire, Ethiopia and Vietnam with the intention of permanently settling in India.
Age Limits
The candidate must be at least 21 years old and not older than 32 years old as of August 1, 2023. For reserved categories, the relaxation in the upper age limit is as follows:
| Category | Relaxation in Upper Age |
| Scheduled Caste or a Scheduled Tribe/ ex-servicemen / ECOs/SSCOs | 03 years |
| Other Backward Classes/ Defence Services personnel disabled in operations during hostilities with any foreign country or in a disturbed area and released as a consequence thereof | 05 years |
| Persons with Benchmark Disabilities viz. (a) low vision; (b) Partially deaf; (c) locomotor disability (Sub-category: leprosy cured and acid attack victims only). | 10 years |
Educational Qualification
A candidate must have a Bachelor’s degree in Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Science, Botany, Chemistry, Geology, Mathematics, Physics, Statistics, or Zoology, or a Bachelor’s degree in Agriculture, Forestry, or Engineering from a recognised university.
Medical & Physical Standards
Candidates must meet physical standards for admission to the Indian Forest Service Examination, 2023, as outlined in Appendix-III of the rules for the Indian Forest Service Examination, 2023, published in the Gazette of India on February 1, 2023.
APPLICATION PROCESS OF UPSC FOREST SERVICES EXAM 2023
To avoid printing errors on the admit card, candidates must correctly fill out the application form. The UPSC IFOS application process can only be completed online.
- Visit the official website of the commission.
- Scroll to the bottom of the page and click the Apply Online button.
- Choose the ‘Online Application for Various Examinations’ option.
- Complete the one-time registration by carefully entering your credentials (if already registered, skip this step and login.)
- Proceed to the second stage of the UPSC IFOS application process.
- Fill out the Part 1 registration form, pay the fee, and upload your documents.
- Choose an exam centre and fill out the form.
- Download the form and print it for future reference.
APPLICATION FEES FOR UPSC FOREST SERVICES EXAM 2023
Candidates can make cash deposits in any SBI branch, use the State Bank of India’s net banking service, or use a Visa/Master/RuPay credit/debit card. The following are the fees by category:
- Unreserved/OBC = Rs. 100/-
- SC/ST/PH = No Fees
- All female candidates = No Fees
UPSC FOREST SERVICES EXAMINATION NUMBER OF ATTEMPTS
Every candidate who appears in the examination and is otherwise eligible is allowed six (6) attempts at the IFOS.
The relaxation in the number of attempts for some categories is:
- Candidates from the SC and ST categories have an unlimited number of attempts.
- OBC candidates have a maximum of nine.
- PwBD candidates from the general and EWS categories are also allowed nine attempts.
SELECTION PROCESS FOR UPSC FOREST SERVICES EXAMINATION 2023
The UPSC IFOS examination is divided into two stages:
(i) Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination (Objective Type) for screening and selection of candidates for Indian Forest Service (Main) Examination; and
(ii) Indian Forest Service (Main) Examination (Written and Interview) for selection of candidates for Indian Forest Service Examination.
UPSC FOREST SERVICES EXAMINATION 2023 EXAM PATTERN
PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION
The Preliminary Examination shall comprise two compulsory Papers of 200 marks each. (i) Both the question papers will be of the objective type (multiple choice questions).
(ii) The General Studies Paper-II of the Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination will be a qualifying paper with minimum qualifying marks fixed at 33%.
(iii) The question papers will be set both in Hindi and English.
| Subject | No. of Questions | Maximum Marks | Exam Duration |
| General Studies Paper-I | 100 | 200 | 2 hours |
| General Studies Paper-II (CSAT) | 80 | 200 | 2 hours |
| Total | 180 | 400 |
Note:
One-third of the marks assigned to each question for which the candidate provided an incorrect answer will be deducted as a penalty.
MAIN EXAMINATION
As previously stated the main examination consists of two stages: a written examination and an interview. The following are the details:
(A) The written examination consists of 6 papers.
- All papers are descriptive in nature
- For the Mains exam, candidates must select two Indian forest service optional subjects.
| Paper | Subject | Maximum Marks | Exam Duration |
| Paper I | General English | 300 | 3 hours |
| Paper II | General Knowledge | 300 | 3 hours |
| Paper III | Optional I | 200 | 3 hours |
| Paper IV | Optional I | 200 | 3 hours |
| Paper V | Optional II | 200 | 3 hours |
| Paper VI | Optional II | 200 | 3 hours |
| Total | 1400 | – | |
List of optional subjects:
| Agriculture | Agricultural Engineering | Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Science |
| Botany | Chemistry | Chemical Engineering |
| Civil Engineering | Forestry | Geology |
| Mathematics | Mechanical Engineering | Physics |
| Statistics | Zoology | – |
(B) Interview for Personality Test: A board of members assesses the candidate’s personality in the Civil Services Personality Test. A candidate is quizzed on topics of general interest. The purpose of the interview is for a Board of competent and unbiased observers to assess the candidate’s personal suitability for a career in public service. The test’s main purpose is to assess a candidate’s mental capacity. The maximum marks for the interview is 300.
UPSC FOREST SERVICES EXAMINATION SYLLABUS 2023
Syllabus for preliminary examination:
| Paper | Topics |
| Paper-I | Current events of national and international importance History of India and Indian National Movement Indian and World Geography- Physical, Social, Economic Geography of India and the World. Indian Polity and Governance- Constitution, Political System, Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Rights Issues, etc. Economic and Social Development- Sustainable Development, Poverty, Inclusion, Demographics, Social Sector Initiatives, etc. General issues on Environmental ecology, Bio-diversity and Climate Change – that do not require subject specialization. General Science |
| Paper-II (CSAT) | Comprehension Interpersonal skills including communication skills; Logical reasoning and analytical ability Decision making and problem-solving General mental ability Basic numeracy (numbers and their relations, orders of magnitude, etc.) (Class X level), Data interpretation (charts, graphs, tables, data sufficiency etc. – Class X level) |
Syllabus for mains exam
| Subjects/Paper | Topics |
| General English | Comprehension of given passages, Precis Writing, Usage and Vocabulary, Short Essay |
| General Knowledge | Indian Polity including the political system and the Constitution of India, History of India and Geography, Current Events (national & international) |
| For optional subjects syllabus, refer to the official notification. | |
VACANCY DETAILS OF UPSC FOREST SERVICES EXAMINATION 2023
A total of 150 vacancies are expected to become available in IFOS 2023. Candidates from Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Other Backward Classes, Economically Weaker Section, and Persons with Benchmark Disability Categories will be given preference for vacancies as determined by the government.
UPSC IFOS 2023 EXAMINATION CENTRES
Preliminary Examination
| AGARTALA | GORAKHPUR | PATNA |
| AGRA | GURGAON | PORTBLAIR |
| AHMEDABAD | GWALIOR | PRAYAGRAJ (ALLAHABAD) |
| AIZAWL | HYDERABAD | PUDUCHERRY |
| AJMER | IMPHAL | PUNE |
| ALIGARH | INDORE | RAIPUR |
| ALMORA (UTTARAKHAND) | ITANAGAR | RAJKOT |
| ANANTHAPURU | JABALPUR | RANCHI |
| AURANGABAD (MAHARASHTRA) | JAIPUR | SAMBALPUR |
| BAREILLY | JAMMU | SHILLONG |
| BENGALURU | JODHPUR | SHIMLA |
| BHOPAL | JORHAT | SILIGURI |
| BILASPUR (CHHATISGARH) | KOCHI | SRINAGAR |
| CHANDIGARH | KOHIMA | SRINAGAR (UTTARAKHAND) |
| CHENNAI | KOLKATTA | SURAT |
| COIMBATORE | KOZHIKODE (CALICUT) | THANE |
| CUTTACK | LEH | THIRUVANANTHAPURAM |
| DEHRADUN | LUCKNOW | TIRUCHIRAPALLI |
| DELHI | LUDHIANA | TIRUPATI |
| DHARAMSHALA (HIMACHAL PRADESH) | MADURAI | UDAIPUR |
| DHARWAR | MANDI (HIMACHAL PRADESH) | VARANASI |
| DISPUR | MUMBAI | VELLORE |
| FARIDABAD | MYSURU | VIJAYAWADA |
| GANGTOK | NAGPUR | VISHAKHAPATNAM |
| GAUTAM BUDDHA NAGAR | NASIK | WARANGAL |
| GAYA | NAVI MUMBA | GHAZIABAD |
| PANAJI (GOA) |
Mains Examination
| BHOPAL | CHENNAI | DELHI |
| DISPUR (GUWAHATI) | HYDERABAD | KOLKATA |
| LUCKNOW | NAGPUR | PORT BLAIR |
| SHIMLA | – | – |
FAQS ON UPSC FOREST SERVICES EXAMINATION 2023
Q Which exam is difficult to clear IFOS or IAS?
A. Both the IFOS and IAS exams are difficult to pass. There is little comparison; depending on one’s interest and knowledge, either of the two may be more difficult.
Q. What are the number of optional subjects available in the UPSC IFOS Mains Exam?
A. Agriculture, Botany, Geology, Forestry, Chemical Engineering, Physics, and other subjects are among the 14 available.
Q. How many vacancies are there in UPSC IFOS 2023?
A. The commission has announced approximately 150 vacancies, which are going to be filled this year through the UPSC Forest Services examination 2023.
Q. Can a graduate from any discipline become an IFOS Officer?
A. No, a candidate for an IFOS officer must have a bachelor’s degree in one of the following subjects: Botany, Zoology, Chemistry, Geology, Mathematics, Physics or Statistics.
Q. When will the preliminary IFOS examination be held?
A. The Union Public Service Commission will conduct the IFOS preliminary examination 2023 on 28th May 2023