Can BSc Agriculture Students from Private Universities Apply for IFoS? Detailed Eligibility Criteria

IFoS (Indian Forest Service) is one of the three civil service examinations held under the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) along with IAS (Indian Administrative Service) and IPS (Indian Police Service) examinations.

The Government of India recruits the IFoS officers at the All India level for scientific management of the Indian forests. The IFoS should not be confused with IFS. Aspirants applying for the exam should know that IFS stands for Indian Foreign Services.

What is IFoS?

The civil service examinations for Indian Forest Service is conducted every year for the selection of aspirants as forest service officers. The Indian Forest Services is the authoritative body that assigns the IFoS officers with various tasks, and the implementation of the National Forest Policy being the primary one. The policy is implemented to ensure the stability of the ecology and to protect and preserve the natural resources plus flora and fauna of India’s forests.

The Indian Forest Service is controlled and looked upon by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. The IFoS officers are assigned to various posts in the forest department, and the highest-ranking post in every state is the Head of Forest Forces. One has to complete the IFoS criteria to be eligible for the exams. Further in the article, the eligibility criteria for private BSc agriculture students are stated below in detail.

Can BSc Agriculture Students Apply for IFoS?

If you are confused about applying for IFoS examination while pursuing a BSc in agriculture from a private university, then you don’t have to worry. The candidates are eligible from both public and private universities across India for IFoS examinations. But the aspirants have to meet the eligibility criteria by being a graduate in any one of the following bachelor’s degrees:

#. Bachelor’s degree with Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Science being at least one of the subjects

#. Bachelor’s degree with Botany being at least one of the subjects

#. Bachelor’s degree with Chemistry being at least one of the subjects

#. Bachelor’s degree with Geology being at least one of the subjects

#. Bachelor’s degree with Mathematics being at least one of the subjects

#. Bachelor’s degree with Physics being at least one of the subjects

#. Bachelor’s degree with Statistics being at least one of the subjects

#. Bachelor’s degree with Zoology being at least one of the subjects

#. Bachelor’s degree in Agriculture

#. Bachelor’s degree in Engineering

#. Bachelor’s degree in Forestry

The undergraduate aspirants can also apply for the IFoS examination when they are in their last year of graduation. And aspirants must graduate from a private university recognized by the UGC (University Grants Commission). Do verify if your university is recognized by the UGC or not.

Eligibility for Indian Forest Service (IFoS)

With a bachelor’s degree, the aspirants have to be eligible for other forest service requirements too.

#. Nationality: The aspirants should be:

#a. A Citizen of India.

#b. The Subject of Nepal.

#c. The Subject of Bhutan.

#d. Tibetian refugees came to India before 1 January 1962 to permanently settle in India.

#e. People of Indian origin migrated from Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Burma, East African countries like Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Uganda, Vietnam, Zambia, Zaire and the United Republic of Tanzania, who have come to permanently settle in India.

#f. Aspirants who belong to the b, c, d, and e categories must provide the eligibility certificate provided by the Government of India.

#. Number of Attempts: The maximum number of attempts for every class is listed as below:

#a. General Candidates: 6 Attempts

#b. Other Backward Classes (OBC) Candidates: 9 Attempts

#c. Scheduled Caste and Tribe (SC/ST) Candidates: No restriction on maximum attempts

#d. Physically Handicapped Candidates: 9 Attempts for General and OBC candidates; No restriction on maximum attempts for SC/ST candidates

#. Examination: After applying for the IFoS, you would be required to clear three different tests:

#1. Prelims Examination – The preliminary examination for IFoS and IAS are similar, which you would have to crack first.

#2. Mains Examination – The next is the mains examination, the students who crack the prelims are allowed to attempt for the mains.

#3. Personality Test (Interview) – Aspirants who cleared the mains have to appear for the personality test interview. And if they clear the interview, then they are recruited as trainees.

After a candidate is qualified in all three tests, they are trained for two years at the Indira Gandhi National Forest Academy, Dehradun, Uttarakhand.

#. Physical Criteria: The aspirants applying for the examinations must be physically fit. Physical standards are mentioned for the aspirants in Appendix Ⅲ of the rules for the Indian Forest Service Examination.

#. Age Limit: The minimum age limit for the IFoS examination is 21 years, and the maximum age limit is 32 years, with some relaxation for the reserved categories.

Conclusion

Hope this article would have cleared your confusion about the eligibility for BSc agriculture students for IFoS. The IFoS is an esteemed post on the same level as IAS and IPS. A lot of students are preparing themselves for these competitive exams, and you should start the preparations as soon as you can. Ensure you don’t waste your attempts before trying again if you fail once. Just prepare as much as you can, and be confident.

To make your preparations smooth and enriched, you can join UPSC Pathshala, where you will get one of the best mentors and study material for your exams. You can learn from the best, and we are offering you a free demo class so you can experience the best teaching yourself.