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About
The Indian Forest Services (IFoS) recruit qualified candidates for the service of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change. The UPSC IFoS is led by the Union Public Service Commission each year.
The candidates have to first appear for the UPSC CSE Prelims exam. The candidates who will clear the Prelims paper will then have to appear for the IFoS Mains exam. After the Mains exam, the qualified candidates will have to appear for the Personal Interview conducted by UPSC.
Latest Notification
UPSC IFoS 2022 Prelims and 2021 Mains result has been released on UPSC's official website.
Registration
Steps to apply:
- Step 1: Visit the official website of UPSC.
- Step 2: Click the “What’s New” section on the home page.
- Step 3: Search for the option “UPSC IFoS Application Form 2022”.
- Step 4: The candidates will be redirected to a new page. Click on “New Registration”
- Step 5: Register yourself with a valid email address and mobile number.
- Step 6: Upon successful registration, the candidates will get an application number with a password after which candidates can proceed to fill out the online application form.
- Step 7: Fill in the necessary personal, educational, and communication details.
- Step 8: Upload the scanned copies of the photograph, signature, and all the necessary documents.
- Step 9: Pay the application fee online through Debit Card/Credit Card/Net Banking.
Syllabus
Prelims Syllabus
The UPSC IFoS Prelims exam Syllabus is tabulated below:
| Papers | Topics |
|---|---|
| General Paper-1 |
|
| General Paper 2 |
|
Mains Syllabus
The syllabus for the UPSC IFoS Mains exam is very vast. The UPSC IFoS Mains exam is absolutely different from the IAS (UPSC CSE) exam.
Mains: List of Optional Subjects
Each candidate must choose 2 optional subjects and there are certain combinations that are not allowed by the UPSC for the IFoS exam as given in the table below:
| List of Optional Subjects | Forbidden Subject Combinations |
|---|---|
|
|
Eligibility Criteria
Eligibility Criteria: Nationality
A candidate must fulfill any one of the nationality conditions:
- A citizen of India
- The subject of Nepal
- The subject of Bhutan
- Tibetan refugees who came over to India before 1st January 1962 with the intention of permanently settling in India
- A person of Indian origin who has migrated from Pakistan, Burma, Sri Lanka, East African countries like Kenya, Uganda, the United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, Zaire, Ethiopia, and Vietnam with the intention of permanently settling in India
- Candidates belonging to categories b, c, d, and e should produce a certificate of eligibility, which has been issued by the Government of India.
Eligibility Criteria: Educational Qualifications
- The candidate should hold a Bachelor's degree with a specialization in one of the subjects specifically, Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Science, Botany, Chemistry, Geology, Mathematics, Physics, Statistics, and Zoology.
- Candidates with a Bachelor's certification in Agriculture Forestry or Engineering are also eligible for the UPSC IFoS exam.
Eligibility Criteria: Age Limit
The candidates can be minimum of 21 years and a maximum of 32 years on August 1, 2022, on the year of examination. However, candidates from reserved categories are offered age relaxations in the upper age. The age relaxation is tabulated below:
| Category | Age Relaxation |
|---|---|
| OBC | 3 years |
| SC/ST | 5 years |
| Ex. Servicemen | 5 years |
| Ex. Defence Services | 5 years |
| Differently-abled Candidates | 10 years |
Number of Attempts
The number of attempts permitted for the candidates from various categories is tabulated below:
| Category | Number of Attempts |
|---|---|
| General Candidates | 6 Attempts |
| Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe Candidates | No Limitation |
| Other Backward Classes | 9 |
| Physically Challenged | 9 |
| General and Other Backward Caste (OBC) | 6 |
Application Fee
| Category | Application Fee |
|---|---|
| General and OBC | INR 250 |
| Female/SC/ST | Exempted |
Exam Pattern
The UPSC IFoS is a three-tier-based examination. There are three stages in the UPSC IFoS exam pattern:
- Prelims
- Mains
- Interview
The candidates have to first clear the Prelims. The candidates who qualify in the Prelims exam are shortlisted for the Mains exam. Those who will clear the Mains will be called for the Interview. The UPSC IFoS Exam Pattern is discussed in detail below.
Prelims Exam Pattern
- The UPSC IFoS Prelims exam has two papers- General Studies 1 and General Studies 2.
- Each paper carries 200 marks, i.e, 400 marks in total.
- Both the papers in UPSC IFoS Prelims have objective-type questions.
- Each question carries 1 mark. The candidates will get two hours for each paper.
- There is a negative marking of 0.33 marks for each wrong answer.
| Paper | Subjects | Maximum Marks | Time Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 | General Studies | 200 | 2 hours |
| Paper 2 | Civil Services Aptitude Test | 200 | 2 hours |
Mains Exam Pattern
The candidates who will clear the Prelims exam will be shortlisted for the Mains exam. The Mains paper is a descriptive essay-based paper. The UPSC IFoS Mains Exam Pattern is given below in detail.
- There is a total of six papers in the UPSC IFoS Mains exam.
- Paper 1 and 2 have 300 marks each while Paper 3-6 carry 200 marks each.
- The candidates will get 3 hours for each paper.
- The total marks for the UPSC IFoS Mains exam are 1400 Marks.
| Paper | Subjects | Total Marks |
|---|---|---|
| Paper-I | General English | 300 |
| Paper-II | General Knowledge | 300 |
| Paper-III | Optional I | 200 |
| Paper-IV | Optional I | 200 |
| Paper-V | Optional II | 200 |
| Paper-VI | Optional II | 200 |
The candidates who further qualify in the Mains Exam are shortlisted for the Interview in which they will test based on personality.
Interview
The candidates who will qualify in the Mains Exam will be shortlisted for the Interview in which they will be tested based on their personality. The last stage is the Interview and it comprises 275 marks.
Different elements that influence the selection of the candidates are judgment ability, tolerance, mindfulness, ethics, and many more. The Interview board will test the character of the applicant and not simply information.
Eligibilty Criteria
Eligibility Criteria: Nationality
A candidate must fulfill any one of the nationality conditions:
- A citizen of India
- The subject of Nepal
- The subject of Bhutan
- Tibetan refugees who came over to India before 1st January 1962 with the intention of permanently settling in India
- A person of Indian origin who has migrated from Pakistan, Burma, Sri Lanka, East African countries like Kenya, Uganda, the United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, Zaire, Ethiopia, and Vietnam with the intention of permanently settling in India
- Candidates belonging to categories b, c, d, and e should produce a certificate of eligibility, which has been issued by the Government of India.
Eligibility Criteria: Educational Qualifications
- The candidate should hold a Bachelor's degree with a specialization in one of the subjects specifically, Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Science, Botany, Chemistry, Geology, Mathematics, Physics, Statistics, and Zoology.
- Candidates with a Bachelor's certification in Agriculture Forestry or Engineering are also eligible for the UPSC IFoS exam.
Eligibility Criteria: Age Limit
The candidates can be minimum of 21 years and a maximum of 32 years on August 1, 2022, on the year of examination. However, candidates from reserved categories are offered age relaxations in the upper age. The age relaxation is tabulated below:
| Category | Age Relaxation |
|---|---|
| OBC | 3 years |
| SC/ST | 5 years |
| Ex. Servicemen | 5 years |
| Ex. Defence Services | 5 years |
| Differently-abled Candidates | 10 years |
Number of Attempts
The number of attempts permitted for the candidates from various categories is tabulated below:
| Category | Number of Attempts |
|---|---|
| General Candidates | 6 Attempts |
| Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe Candidates | No Limitation |
| Other Backward Classes | 9 |
| Physically Challenged | 9 |
| General and Other Backward Caste (OBC) | 6 |
Exam Pattern
The UPSC IFoS is a three-tier-based examination. There are three stages in the UPSC IFoS exam pattern:
- Prelims
- Mains
- Interview
The candidates have to first clear the Prelims. The candidates who qualify in the Prelims exam are shortlisted for the Mains exam. Those who will clear the Mains will be called for the Interview. The UPSC IFoS Exam Pattern is discussed in detail below.
Prelims Exam Pattern
- The UPSC IFoS Prelims exam has two papers- General Studies 1 and General Studies 2.
- Each paper carries 200 marks, i.e, 400 marks in total.
- Both the papers in UPSC IFoS Prelims have objective-type questions.
- Each question carries 1 mark. The candidates will get two hours for each paper.
- There is a negative marking of 0.33 marks for each wrong answer.
| Paper | Subjects | Maximum Marks | Time Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 | General Studies | 200 | 2 hours |
| Paper 2 | Civil Services Aptitude Test | 200 | 2 hours |
Mains Exam Pattern
The candidates who will clear the Prelims exam will be shortlisted for the Mains exam. The Mains paper is a descriptive essay-based paper. The UPSC IFoS Mains Exam Pattern is given below in detail.
- There is a total of six papers in the UPSC IFoS Mains exam.
- Paper 1 and 2 have 300 marks each while Paper 3-6 carry 200 marks each.
- The candidates will get 3 hours for each paper.
- The total marks for the UPSC IFoS Mains exam are 1400 Marks.
| Paper | Subjects | Total Marks |
|---|---|---|
| Paper-I | General English | 300 |
| Paper-II | General Knowledge | 300 |
| Paper-III | Optional I | 200 |
| Paper-IV | Optional I | 200 |
| Paper-V | Optional II | 200 |
| Paper-VI | Optional II | 200 |
The candidates who further qualify in the Mains Exam are shortlisted for the Interview in which they will test based on personality.
Interview
The candidates who will qualify in the Mains Exam will be shortlisted for the Interview in which they will be tested based on their personality. The last stage is the Interview and it comprises 275 marks.
Different elements that influence the selection of the candidates are judgment ability, tolerance, mindfulness, ethics, and many more. The Interview board will test the character of the applicant and not simply information.
Syllabus
Prelims Syllabus
The UPSC IFoS Prelims exam Syllabus is tabulated below:
| Papers | Topics |
|---|---|
| General Paper-1 |
|
| General Paper 2 |
|
Mains Syllabus
The syllabus for the UPSC IFoS Mains exam is very vast. The UPSC IFoS Mains exam is absolutely different from the IAS (UPSC CSE) exam.
Mains: List of Optional Subjects
Each candidate must choose 2 optional subjects and there are certain combinations that are not allowed by the UPSC for the IFoS exam as given in the table below:
| List of Optional Subjects | Forbidden Subject Combinations |
|---|---|
|
|
