Indian Forest Service Exam 2022

Eligibility | Dates | Pattern | Syllabus

Last Updated on 29th December, 2021
UPSC

The Indian Forest Service (IFS) hosted by Union Public Service Commissions (UPSC) is one of the Civil Service Examinations for recruitment of officers on an All India Level for the Scientific Management of the Indian Government’s forest. The exam is conducted on the basis of the guidelines set by the UPSC.

The exams are conducted in three rounds preliminary, main exam and interview. Candidates qualifying for the preliminary round are eligible for the main exam. On qualifying for the main exam candidates are selected for the interview round. IFS officer’s main role is to conserve and protect the heritage of forests.

Exam Highlights
Level of Exam Graduate, National Level
Exam Medium English, Hindi
Exam Frequency Once in a year
Purpose of the Exam Recruitment of officers for the scientific management in forest.
Conducting Body Union Public Service Commission (UPSC)
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IFS Exam Eligibity Criteria 2022

  1. Nationality

    2. For the Indian Administrative Service, the Indian Foreign Service and the Indian Police Service, a candidate must be a citizen of India.
    For other services, 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, Sri Lanka, 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.

    Provided that a candidate belonging to categories (b), (c), (d) and (e) shall be a person in whose favour a certificate of eligibility has been issued by the Government of India.

  2. Educational Qualification

    • Candidates must have a bachelor’s degree in at least one of the following subjects- Botany, Chemistry, Geology, Maths, Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Science, Physics, Zoology, and Statistics.
    • Bachelor’s degree in Agriculture or Forestry or Engineering from a recognized university or equivalent.

  3. Age Limit

    4. The age of the candidate to appear in the IFS examination should be minimum of 21 years and maximum of 32 years.
    However, there are age relaxations for candidates belonging to the reserved categories. They are given below in the table:
    Category Upper Age Limit
    SC/ST 37 years
    OBC 35 years
    Defence service personnel 35 years
    Ex-servicemen 37 years
    ECOs/SSCOs 37 years
    Deaf-dumb, blind or Orthopaedically challenged individuals 42 years

  4. Restrictions on Attempts

    5. The number of times candidates are permitted to take the Indian Forest Service Exam is given below:
    Category Number of Attempts
    General Category 6
    SC/ST No restriction
    OBC 9
    Physically Handicapped 9

IFS Exam Important Dates 2022

Event Date
Starting Date of Application March 4, 2021
Last Date of Application March 24, 2021
Preliminary Exam October 10, 2021
Result of Preliminary Exam October 29, 2021
Detailed Application Form-I for Manis Examination December 15, 2021
Starting date of Main Exam February 27, 2022
Main Exam Result To be notified
Interview To be notified

Indian Forest Services Examination, 2022:

Starting Date of Application 2nd February 2022
Last Date for Receipt of Applications 22nd February 2022
Date of Admit Card To be notified
Date of Preliminary Examination 5th June 2022
Result of Written Examination To be notified
Date of Mains Exam 20th November 2022

IFS Exam Pattern 2022

IFS Exam comprises of three-stage selection processes like any other UPSC exams: Preliminary Exam, Main Exam and Interview.

Pattern for Preliminary Exam

The preliminary examination intends to focus on analytical abilities and understanding rather than the ability to memorize.

Sl. No. Name of the Paper/Section Nature Nos. of Questions Question Type Duration Negative Marking Marks
1 Paper 1: General Studies
 Merit Ranking Nature Objective (Multiple Choice) 120 mins 0.33 200
2 Paper 2: General Studies (CSAT)
 Qualifying Nature Objective (Multiple Choice) 120 mins 0.33 200
Total Marks* 200

*The total marks shown here are considered for merit ranking purposes.

Pattern for Mains Exam

In Mains Examination, there are total 6 papers.
Paper-I—General English
Paper-II—General Knowledge
Papers III, IV, V and VI—Any two subjects to be selected from the list of the optional subjects mentioned below.

Each optional subject will have two papers— 200 marks for each paper.

**Note: Answer scripts of only those candidates who have obtained the minimum marks as decided by the Commission for Paper-II (General Knowledge) will be evaluated.

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 Engg.
(b) Agriculture and Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Science.
(c) Agriculture and Forestry.
(d) Chemistry and Chemical Engg.
(e) Mathematics and Statistics.
(f) Of the Engineering subjects viz. Agricultural Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering and Mechanical Engineering—not more than one subject;

Sl. No. Name of the Paper/Section Nature Nos. of Questions Question Type Duration Negative Marking Marks
1 Paper I: General English

Candidates will be required to write an essay in English.

 		Merit Ranking Nature Descriptive 300
2 Paper II: General Knowledge
 Qualifying Nature Descriptive 300
3 Paper III: Optional Subject 1

This is the first paper of optional subject 1.

 		Merit Ranking Nature 8 Descriptive 200
4 Paper IV: Optional Subject 1

This is the second paper of optional subject 1.

 		Merit Ranking Nature 8 Descriptive 200
5 Paper V: Optional Subject 2

This is the first paper of optional subject 2.

 		Merit Ranking Nature 8 Descriptive 200
6 Paper VI: Optional Subject 2

This is the second paper of optional subject 2.

 		Merit Ranking Nature 8 Descriptive 200
Total Marks* 1400

*The total marks shown here are considered for merit ranking purposes.

Pattern for Personality Test

Total marks allotted: 300

The objective of the personal interview is to assess the personal suitability of the candidate for a career in public service by a board of competent and unbiased observers. The test is intended to evaluate the mental calibre of a candidate.

IFS Exam Syllabus 2022

Syllabus for Preliminary Exam

1 Paper 1: General Studies

  • Current national and international important events,
  • Indian History and Indian National Movement,
  • Physical, Social and Economic Geography of the world,
  • Indian Politics and government,
  • Sustainable development,
  • Poverty inclusion,
  • Political and Social Development,
  • Demographics,
  • Bio-diversity,
  • Environmental Ecology,
  • Climate Change,
  • General Science.

    • 2 Paper 2: General Studies (CSAT)

  • Logical reasoning and analytical ability,
  • Comprehension,
  • Interpersonal skills including communication skills,
  • Decision making and reasoning ability,
  • General Mental Ability.
  • Comprehension skills in English Language,
  • Basic numeracy,
  • Data Interpretation ( class X level )

    • Syllabus for Mains Exam

    1 Paper I: General English

  • Comprehension
  • Precise writing
  • Vocabulary and usage

    • 2 Paper II: General Knowledge

  • General Knowledge including knowledge of current events and of such matters of every day observation and
    experience in their scientific aspects as may be expected of an educated person who has not made a special study of any scientific subject.
  • The paper will also include questions on Indian Polity including the political system and the Constitution of India, History of India and Geography of a nature which the candidate should be able to answer without special study.

    • 3 Paper III: Optional Subject 1

    See the table given below in the note.

    4 Paper IV: Optional Subject 1

    See the table given below in the note.

    5 Paper V: Optional Subject 2

    See the table given below in the note.

    6 Paper VI: Optional Subject 2

    See the table given below in the note.

    Points Related to the Mains Exam

    Syllabus for IFS optional papers
    Paper Syllabus Marks
    Optional Papers Paper- I Paper-II 400
    Agriculture
    • Ecology and its relevance to man, natural resources, their sustainable management and conservation.
    • Cropping pattern in different agro-climatic zones of the country.
    • Soil conservation planning on watershed basis.
    • Water-use efficiency in relation to crop production.
    • Farm management.
    • Marketing and pricing of agricultural inputs and outputs.
    • Agricultural extension.
    • Cell Theory
    • History of plant breeding.
    • Seed technology, its importance.
    • Growth and development; photo-periodism and vernalization.
    • Climatic requirements and cultivation of major fruits, plants, vegetable crops and flower plants.
    • Diseases and pests of field vegetables, orchard and plantation crops of India.
    • Food production and consumption trends in India.
    Agricultural Engineering
    • Soil and Water Conservation.
    • Aerial Photography and Remote Sensing.
    • Irrigation and Drainage.
    • Agricultural Structures.
    • Farm Power and Machinery.
    • Agro-energy.
    • Agricultural Process Engineering.
    • Instrumentation and computer applications in Agricultural Engineering.
    Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Science
    • Animal Nutrition.
    • Animal Physiology.
    • Livestock Production and Management.
    • Genetics and Animal Breeding.
    • Health and Hygiene.
    • Animal Diseases.
    • Veterinary Public Health.
    • Milk and Milk Products Technology.
    • Meat Hygiene and Technology.
    Botany
    • Microbiology and Plant Pathology.
    • Cryptogams
    • Phanerogams
    • Plant Utility and Exploitation.
    • Morphogenesis.
    • Cell Biology.
    • Genetics, Molecular Biology and Evolution.
    • Plant Breeding, Biotechnology and Biostatistics.
    • Physiology and Biochemistry.
    • Ecology and Plant Geography.
    Chemistry
    • Atomic structure.
    • Chemical bonding.
    • Solid State.
    • The gaseous state.
    • Thermodynamics and statistical thermodynamics.
    • Phase equilibria and solutions.
    • Electrochemistry.
    • Chemical kinetics
    • Photochemistry
    • Surface phenomena and catalysis
    • Bio-inorganic chemistry.
    • Coordination chemistry.
    • General chemistry of ‘f’ block elements.
    • Non-Aqueous Solvents.
    • Delocalised covalent bonding.
    • Reaction mechanisms
    • Reactive Intermediates
    • Substitution reactions
    • Elimination reactions
    • Addition reactions
    • Rearrangements
    • Pericyclic reactions
    • Chemistry and mechanism of reactions
    • Polymeric Systems
    • Synthetic uses of reagents
    • Photochemistry
    • Principles of spectroscopy and applications in structure elucidation
    Chemical Engineering
    • Fluid and Particle Dynamics
    • Mass Transfer
    • Heat Transfer
    • Noval Separation Processes
    • Process Equipment Design
    • Process Dynamics and Control
    • Material and Energy Balances
    • Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics
    • Chemical Reaction Engineering
    • Chemical Technology
    • Environmental Engineering and Safety
    • Process Engineering Economics
    Civil Engineering
    • Engineering Mechanics
    • Strength of Materials
    • Structural Analysis
    • Structural Steel Design
    • Design of Concrete and Masonry Structure
    • Fluid Mechanics
    • Open Channel Flow
    • Hydraulic Machines & Hydropower
    • Geo-Technical Engineering
    • Construction Technology
    • Construction Equipment
    • Construction Planning & Management
    • Survey and Transportation Engineering
    • Hydrology, Water Resources and Engineering
    • Irrigation Engineering
    • Environmental Engineering: Water Supply, Intake of water, Water storage and distribution, Sewage systems, Sewage characterization, Sewage treatment, Solid waste, Environmental pollution.
    Forestry
    • Silviculture
    • Agroforestry, Social Forestry, Joint Forest Management & Tribology
    • Forest Soils, Soil Conservation and Watershed management
    • Environmental Conservation and Biodiversity
    • Tree Improvement and Seed Technology
    • Forest Management and Management Systems
    • Forest Working Plan
    • Forest Mensuration and Remote Sensing
    • Surveying and Forest Engineering
    • Forest Ecology and Ethnobotany
    • Forest Resources and Utilization
    • Forest Protection & Wildlife Biology
    • Forest Economics and Legislation
    Geology
    • General Geology
    • Geomorphology and Remote Sensing
    • Structural Geology
    • Paleontology
    • Stratigraphy and Geology of India
    • Hydrogeology and Engineering Geology
    • Mineralogy
    • Igneous ad Metamorphic Petrology
    • Sedimentology
    • Economic Geology
    • Mining Geology
    • Geochemistry and Environmental Geology
    Mathematics
    • Linear Algebra
    • Calculus
    • Analytic Geometry
    • Ordinary Differential Equations
    • Dynamics, Statics and Hydrostatics
    • Vector Analysis
    • Algebra
    • Real Analysis
    • Complex Analysis
    • Linear Programming
    • Partial differential equations
    • Numerical Analysis and Computer programming
    • Numerical integration
    • Numerical solution of ordinary differential equations
    • Computer Programming
    • Mechanics and Fluid Dynamics
    Mechanical Engineering
    • Theory of Machines
    • Mechanics of Solids
    • Engineering Materials
    • Manufacturing Science
    • Manufacturing Management
    • Elements of Computation
    • Thermodynamics
    • I.C. Engines, Fuels and Combustion
    • Heat Transfer, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning
    • Turbo-Machines And Power Plants
    Physics
    • Classical Mechanics
    • Special Relativity, Waves & Geometrical Optics
    • Physical Optics
    • Electricity and Magnetism
    • Electromagnetic Theory & Black Body Radiation
    • Thermal and Statistical Physics
    • Quantum Mechanics I
    • Quantum Mechanics II & Atomic Physics
    • Molecular Physics
    • Nuclear Physics
    • Particle Physics & Solid State Physics
    • Electronics
    Statistics
    • Probability
    • Statistical Inference
    • Linear Inference and Multivariate Analysis
    • Sampling Theory and Design of Experiments
    • Industrial Statistics
    • Optimization Techniques
    • Quantitative Economics and Official Statistics
    • Demography and Psychometry
    Zoology
    • Non-chordata and chordate
    • Ecology
    • Ethology
    • Economic Zoology
    • Biostatistics
    • Instrumental methods
    • Cell Biology
    • Genetics
    • Evolution
    • Biochemistry
    • Physiology
    • Developmental Biology

    Syllabus for Personality Test

    There is no specific syllabus for the interview. In broad terms, this is really an assessment of not only a candidate’s intellectual qualities but also social traits and interest in current affairs. Some of the qualities to be judged are mental alertness, critical powers of assimilation, clear and logical exposition, the balance of judgement, variety and depth of interest, the ability for social cohesion, LEADERSHIP, and intellectual and moral integrity.

    Exam Highlights
    Level of Exam Graduate, National Level
    Exam Medium English, Hindi
    Exam Frequency Once in a year
    Purpose of the Exam Recruitment of officers for the scientific management in forest.
    Conducting Body Union Public Service Commission (UPSC)

    Tags

    UPSC Indian Forest Service Administrative Services Exam

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