UPSC IFS Exam 2023 – Indian Forest Service Exam 2023 Application, Eligibility

IMPORTANT

• CANDIDATES APPLYING FOR INDIAN FOREST SERVICE EXAMINATION SHOULD NOTE THAT THEY ARE REQUIRED TO APPEAR IN THE CIVIL SERVICES (PRELIMINARY) EXAMINATON AND QUALIFY THE SAME FOR GOING TO THE SECOND STAGE OF INDIAN FOREST SERVICE (MAIN) EXAMINATION (WRITTEN AND INTERVIEW).
• CANDIDATES DESIROUS OF APPLYING FOR INDIAN FOREST SERVICE EXAMINATION AS WELL AS FOR CIVIL SERVICES EXAMINATION CAN APPLY THROUGH A COMMON ONLINE APPLICATION FORM SUBJECT TO MEETING THE REQUISITE ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA BY THEM.

1. CANDIDATES TO ENSURE THEIR ELIGIBILITY FOR THE EXAMINATION –

All candidates (male/female/transgender) are requested to carefully read the Rules of Indian Forest Service Examination notified by the Government (Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change) and this Notice of Examination derived from these Rules. Candidates applying for the examination should ensure that they fulfill all eligibility conditions for admission to the Examination. Their admission at all the stages of the examination will be purely provisional subject to satisfying the prescribed eligibility conditions. Mere issue of Admission Certificate to the candidate will not imply that his/her candidature has been finally cleared by the Commission. Verification of eligibility conditions with reference to original documents is taken up only after the candidate has qualified for Interview/Personality Test. The Commission takes up verification of eligibility conditions with reference to original documents only after the candidate has qualified for Interview/ Personality Test.

2. HOW TO APPLY FOR UPSC IFS 2023 Exam – INSTRUCTIONS TO THE CANDIDATES FOR FILLING ONLINE APPLICATIONS 

Candidates are required to apply Online only by using the website http://www.upsconline.nic.in. It is essential for the applicant to register himself/herself first at One Time Registration (OTR) platform, available on the Commission’s website, and then proceed for filling up the online application for the examination. OTR has to be registered only once in life time. This can be done anytime throughout the year. If the candidate is already registered, he/she can proceed straightway for filling up the online application for the examination.

2.1 Modification in OTR Profile: In case, the candidate wants to effect any change in his/her OTR profile, it shall be allowed only once in the lifetime after the registration at OTR platform. The change in OTR profile data shall be available till expiry of 07 days from the next day after the closure of application window of his/her first final application for any Examination of the Commission. In the case, the candidate after registration of OTR applies for the first time in this examination last date of modification of OTR would be 28.02.2023.

2.2 Modification in application form (Other than OTR Profile): The Commission has also decided to extend the facility of making correction(s) in any field(s) of the application form for this examination from next day of the closure of the application window of this Examination. This window will remain open for 07 days from the date of opening of the same, i.e., from 22.02.2023 to 28.02.2023. In case a candidate wants to carry out any change in his/her OTR profile during this period, then he/she should log into the OTR platform and do the needful accordingly. In other words, no change in the OTR profile can be made by visiting the window for Modification in application form.

2.3 Withdrawal of Application: The candidates will not be allowed to withdraw their applications after submission of the same.

Brief instructions are for filling up the online Applications Form have been given in Appendix-II. Detailed instructions for filling up online applications are available on the above mentioned website.

2.4 Candidate should have details of one Photo ID Card viz. Aadhaar Card/Voter Card/PAN Card/ Passport/Driving Licence/Any other Photo ID Card issued by the State/Central Government. The details of this Photo ID Card will have to be provided by the candidate while filling up the online application form. The candidates will have to upload a scanned copy of the Photo ID whose details have been provided in the online application by him/her. This Photo ID Card will be used for all future referencing and the candidate is advised to carry this Photo ID Card while appearing for Examination/Personality Test. 

3. LAST DATE OF SUBMISSION OF APPLICATIONS:

The Online Applications can be filled up to 21st February, 2023 till 18.00 Hours.

4. The eligible candidates shall be issued an e-Admit Card three weeks before the commencement of the examination. The e-Admit Card will be made available in the UPSC website [http://www.upsconline.nic.in.] for downloading by candidates. No Admission Certificate will be sent by post. All the applicants are required to provide valid active E-Mail I.D. while filling up Online Application Form as the Commission may use electronic mode for contacting them at different stages of examination process.

5. PENALTY FOR WRONG ANSWERS :
Candidates should note that there will be penalty (Negative Marking) for wrong
answers marked by a candidate in the Objective Type Question Papers.

6. For both writing and marking answers in the OMR sheet [Answer Sheet], candidates must use black ball pen only. Pens with any other colours are prohibited. Do not use Pencil or Ink pen. Candidates are further advised to read carefully the “Special Instructions” contained in Appendix-III of the Notice.

7. FACILITATION COUNTER FOR GUIDANCE OF CANDIDATES :

In case of any guidance/information/clarification regarding their applications,
candidature etc. candidates can contact UPSC’s Facilitation Counter near ‘C’ Gate of
its campus in person or over Telephone No. 011-23385271/011-23381125/011-
23098543 on working days between 10.00 hrs. and 17.00 hrs.

8. Mobile Phones Banned:

(a)The use of any mobile phone (even in switched off mode), pager or any electronic equipment or programmable device or storage media like pen drive, smart watches etc. or camera or blue tooth devices or any other equipment or related accessories either in working or switched off mode capable of being used as a communication device during the examination is strictly prohibited. Any infringement of these instructions shall entail disciplinary action including ban from future examinations.

(b) Candidates are advised in their own interest not to bring any of the banned items including mobile phones/pagers to the venue of the examination, as arrangement for safe-keeping cannot be assured. Commission will not be responsible for any loss in this regard.

9. Candidates are advised not to bring any valuable/costly items to the venue of the
examination, as safe-keeping of the same cannot be assured. Commission will not be responsible for any loss in this regard.

CANDIDATES ARE REQUIRED TO APPLY ONLINE ONLY. NO OTHER MODE
IS ALLOWED FOR SUBMISSION OF APPLICATION.
GOVERNMENT STRIVES TO HAVE A WORKFORCE WHICH REFLECTS
GENDER BALANCE AND WOMEN CANDIDATES ARE ENCOURAGED TO
APPLY.

No.13/2/2022-E.I(B): The Union Public Service Commission will hold a Screening Test for selection to Indian Forest Service (Main) Examination, 2023 through Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination, 2023 which will be held on 28th May, 2023, in accordance with the Rules published by the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change in the Gazette of India dated the 01st February, 2023.

(A) The Preliminary Examination will be held at the following Centers –

The centres and the date of holding the examination as mentioned above are liable to be changed at the discretion of the Commission. Applicants should note that there will be a ceiling on the number of candidates allotted to each of the Centres, except Chennai, Dispur, Kolkatta and Nagpur. Allotment of Centres will be on a “first-apply-first allot” basis, and once the capacity of a particular Centre is attained, the same will be frozen. Applicants, who cannot get a Centre of their choice due to ceiling, will be required to choose a Centre from the remaining ones. Applicants are, thus, advised that they may apply early so that they could get a Centre of their choice.

NB: Notwithstanding the aforesaid provision, Commission reserves the right to change the Centres at their discretion if the situation demands.

All the Examination Centres for CS(P) 2023 Examination will cater to examination for
Low Vision Candidates in their respective centres. Candidates admitted to the
examination will be informed of the time table and place or places of examination.

The candidates should note that no request for change of centre will be entertained.

(B) PLAN OF EXAMINATION FOR UPSC IFS 2023 Exam

The Indian Forest Service Examination will consist of two successive stages (vide Appendix I Section-I below).

(i) 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 and submit on-line Detailed Application Form-I [DAF-I] along with scanned documents/certificates in support of date of birth, category {viz. SC/ST/OBC(without OBC Annexure)/EWS [Economically Weaker Sections] (with EWS Annexure)/PwBD/Ex-Serviceman} and educational qualification with required Examination Fee. Any delay in submission of DAF-I or documents in support beyond the prescribed date will not be allowed and will lead to cancellation of the candidature for the IFS Exam, 2023.

The candidates who are declared to have qualified Indian Forest Service (Main) Examination will be required to mandatorily indicate order of preferences of Zones/Cadres in the on-line Detailed Application Form-II (DAF-II), before the commencement of Personality Tests (Interviews) of the examination. With this Form, a candidate will also be required to upload documents/certificates for higher education, achievements in different fields, service experience, OBC Annexure (for OBC category only) EWS Annexure (for EWS category only), etc. Any delay in submission of DAF-II or documents in support beyond the prescribed date will not be allowed and will lead to cancellation of the candidature for the IFS Exam, 2023.

The Main Examination is likely to be held in November, 2023. The Main Examination will be held on the following Centres :

Bhopal, Chennai, Delhi, Dispur (Guwahati), Hyderabad, Kolkata, Lucknow, Nagpur, Port Blair and Shimla.

2. The number of vacancies to be filled on the results of the examination is expected to be approximately 150. The number of vacancies is liable to alteration. Reservation will be made for candidates belonging to Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Other Backward Classes, Economically Weaker Section and Person with Benchmark Disability Categories in respect of vacancies as may be fixed by the Government.

Note: As per the information received from the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, two vacancies have been kept reserved for Low Vision category, three vacancies (one backlog vacancy) have been kept reserved for Partially Deaf category and four vacancies (two backlog vacancies) have been kept reserved for Locomotor disability (sub-category : Leprosy cured and Acid attack). However the vacancies indicated are liable to further alteration.

As per the decision taken by the Government for increasing the access of unemployed to job opportunities, the Commission will publically disclose the scores of the candidates (obtained in the Written Examination and Interview/Personality Test) through the public portals. The disclosure will be made in respect of only those candidates who will appear in the Interview/Personality Test for the Indian Forest Service Examination and are not finally recommended for appointment. The information shared through this disclosure scheme about the non-recommended candidates may be used by other public and private recruitment agencies to appoint suitable candidates from the information made available in the public portal.

Candidates will be required to give their options at the time of Interview/Personality Test, while acknowledging the e-summon letter mailed to them for interview. A candidate may opt out of the scheme also and in that case his/her details will not be published by the Commission

Besides sharing of the information of the non-recommended candidates for the examinations conducted by the Commission, the Commission will not assume any responsibility of liability for the method and manner in which information related to candidates who appear at the Commission’s Examinations/Selections is utilized by other private of public organizations.

ELIGIBILITY CONDITIONS FOR UPSC IFS 2023 Exam

(i) 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.
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. A candidate in whose case a certificate of eligibility is necessary, may be admitted to the examination but the offer of appointment may be given only after the necessary eligibility certificate has been issued to him/her by the Government of India.

MINIMUM EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS FOR UPSC IFS 2023 Exam

A 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 qualification.

Note I – Candidates who have appeared at an examination the passing of which would render them educationally qualified for the Commission’s examination but have not been informed of the results as also the candidates who intend to appear at such a qualifying examination will also be eligible for admission to the Preliminary Examination. All candidates who are declared qualified by the Commission for taking the Indian Forest Service (Main) Examination will be required to produce proof of passing the requisite examination with their application (i.e. Detailed Application Form-I) for the Main Examination failing which such candidates will not be admitted to the Indian Forest Service Main Examination. Such proof of passing the requisite examination should have been issued latest by closing date of Detailed Application Form-I of the Indian Forest Service (Main) Examination. The applications for the Main Examination may be called sometime in the month of July, 2023 through on-line mode

NOTE II – In addition, the candidates who possess qualification equivalent to those specified in Rule 7 will be required to produce a certificate from University incorporated by an Act of the Central or State Legislature in India or other educational institutions established by an Act of the Parliament or declared to be deemed as a University under Section 3 of the University Grants Commission Act, 1956 clarifying that the degree is at par with the Bachelor degree specified in Rule 7 along with their application for the Main Examination failing which such candidate will not be admitted to the Main Examination.

NOTE III – In exceptional cases the Union Public Service Commission may treat a candidate who has not any of the foregoing qualifications as a qualified candidate provided that he/she has passed examination conducted by the other Institutions, the standard of which in the opinion of the Commission justifies his/her admission to the examination.

NUMBER OF ATTEMPTS FOR UPSC IFS 2023 Exam

Every candidate appearing at the Examination, who is otherwise eligible, shall be
permitted six 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 nine.
Provided further that a person with benchmark disability will get as many attempts as
are available to other candidates who do not belong to person with benchmark disability of his or her community, subject to the condition that a person with benchmark disability belonging to the General and EWS Category shall be eligible for nine attempts. The relaxation will be available to the persons with benchmark disability who are eligible to avail of reservation applicable to such candidates.

NOTE :

(i) 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.
(iii) Notwithstanding the disqualification/cancellation of candidature, the fact of appearance of the candidate at the examination will count as an attempt.

AGE LIMITS – 

(a) A candidate must have attained the age of 21 years and must not have attained the age of 32 years on 1st August 2023, i.e. he must have been born not earlier than 2nd
August 1991 and not later than 1st August 2002.
(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.
(iii) upto a maximum of three years in the case of Defence Services personnel disabled in
operations during hostilities with any foreign country or in a disturbed area and
released as a consequence thereof:
(iv) upto a maximum of five years in the case of ex-servicemen including Commissioned
Officers and ECOs/SSCOs who have rendered at least five years Military Service as on
1st August, 2022 and have been released;
(i) on completion of assignment (including those whose assignment is due to be completed within one year from 1st August, 2022) otherwise than by way of dismissal or discharge on account of misconduct or inefficiency, or
(ii) on account of physical disability attributable to Military Service, or
(iii) on invalidment.
(v) upto a maximum of five years in the case of ECOs/SSCOs who have completed an initial period of assignment of five years of Military Service as on 1st August, 2022 and whose assignment has been extended beyond five years and in whose case the Ministry of Defence issues a certificate that they can apply for civil employment and that they will
be released on three month’s notice on selection from the date of receipt of offer of
appointment.
(vi) up to a maximum of 10 years in the case of Persons with Benchmark Disabilities viz. (a) low vision; (b) Partially deaf; (c) locomotor disability (Sub-category : leprosy cured and
acid attack victims only).

NOTE I – Candidates belonging to the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes and the
Other Backward Classes who are also covered under any other clauses of para 3(ii)(b)
above, viz. those coming under the category of Ex-servicemen, Low Vision, Hearing
Impaired (Partially deaf) and Locomotor disability (sub-category : Leprosy cured and Acid
attack victims) person etc. will be eligible for grant of cumulative age relaxation under
both the categories.

NOTE II – In regard to Functional Classification and Physical Requirements of PwBD
candidates, the same procedure as has been followed till the previous examination may be
followed by the Government (Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change).

NOTE III – The term Ex-servicemen will apply to the persons who are defined as exservicemen in the Ex-servicemen (Re-employment in Civil Services and Posts) rules, 1979 as amended from time to time.

NOTE IV – The age concession under para 3(ii)(b)(iv) and (v) will be admissible to ExServicemen i.e. a person who has served in any rank whether as combatant or noncombatant in the Regular Army, Navy and Air Force of the Indian Union and who either
has been retired or relieved or discharged from such service whether at his own request or
being relieved by the employer after earning his or her pension.

NOTE V – Notwithstanding the provision of age relaxation under para 3(ii)(b)(vi) above a
person with benchmark disability candidate will be considered to be eligible for appointment only if he/she (after such physical examination as the Government or
appointing authority, as the case may be, may prescribe) is found to satisfy the requirements of physical and medical standards for the concerned Services/Posts to be
allocated to the person with benchmark disability candidates by the Government.

SAVE AS PROVIDED ABOVE THE AGE LIMITS PRESCRIBED CAN IN NO CASE BE
RELAXED.

APPLY ONLINE

FEE

Candidates applying (excepting Female/SC/ST/PwBD 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) either by depositing the money in any Branch of SBI by cash, or by using net banking facility of State Bank of India or by using Visa/Master/RuPay Credit/Debit card.

Applicants who opt for “Pay by Cash” mode should print the system generated Pay-inslip during part II registration and deposit the fee at the counter of SBI Branch on the next working day only. “Pay by Cash” mode will be deactivated at 23.59 hours of 20.02.2023 i.e. one day before the closing date; however applicants who have generated their Pay-in-Slip before it is deactivated may pay at the counter of SBI Branch during banking hours on the closing date. Such applicants who are unable to pay by cash on the closing i.e. during banking hours at SBI Branch, for reasons whatsoever, even if holding valid pay-in-slip will have no other offline option but to opt for available online Debit/Credit Card or Internet Banking payment mode on the closing date i.e. till 18.00 hours of 21.02.2023.

For the applicant in whose case payments details have not been received from the bank, they will be treated as fictitious payment cases and a list of all such applicants shall be made available on the Commission’s website within two weeks after the last day of submission of Online Application. These applicants shall also be intimated through e-mail to submit copy of proof of their payment to the Commission at the address mentioned in the e-mail. The applicant shall be required to submit the proof within 10 days from the date of such communication either by hand or by speed post to the Commission. In case, no response is received from the applicant, their application shall be summarily rejected and no further correspondence shall be entertained in this regard.

All female candidates and candidates belonging to Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes/ Person with benchmark disability categories are not required to pay any fee. No fee exemption is, however, available to OBC/EWS candidates and they are required to pay the full prescribed fee. There will be separate examination fee for Indian Forest Service (Main) Examination, for those who will qualify for the same through the Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination, for which appropriate notice will be issued at the time of filling up of on-line application for the second stage. Persons with benchmark disability are exempted from the payment of fee provided they are otherwise eligible for appointment to the Services/Posts to be filled on the results of this examination on the basis of the standards of medical fitness for these Services/Posts (including any concessions specifically extended to the persons with benchmark disability). A person with benchmark disability claiming age relaxation/fee concession will be required by the Commission to submit along with his/her Detailed Application Form-I, a certified copy of the certificate from a Government Hospital/ Medical Board in support of his/her claim for being persons with benchmark disability.

NOTE – Notwithstanding the aforesaid provision for age relaxation/fee exemption, a person with benchmark disability will be considered to be eligible for appointment only if he/she (after such physical examination as the Government or the appointing authority, as the case may be, may prescribe) is found to satisfy the requirements of physical and medical standards for the concerned Services/Posts to be allocated to persons with benchmark disability by the Government.

APPLY ONLINE

NOTE I – APPLICATIONS WITHOUT THE PRESCRIBED FEE (UNLESS REMISSION OF FEE IS CLAIMED) SHALL BE SUMMARILY REJECTED.

NOTE II – Fee once paid shall not be refunded under any circumstances nor can the fee be held in reserve for any other examination or selection.

NOTE III – If any candidate who took the Indian Forest Service Examination held in 2022 wishes to apply for admission to this examination, he/she must submit his/her application so as to each the Commission’s Office by the prescribed date without waiting for the results or an offer of appointment

6. LAST DATE FOR SUBMISSION OF APPLICATIONS :

The Online Applications can be filled upto 21st February 2023 till 18.00 Hours, after which the link will be disabled. Detailed instructions regarding filling of online application is available at Appendix-II.

APPLY ONLINE