If you are eager to know the life of an Indian forest service officer then in this post you will learn each and every aspect of this wonderful job. Forest Services was established in 1867 by the British Indian Government for scientific management of India’s forest land and natural resources. The Government of India launched the Indian Forest Service (IFS) in 1966 under the All-India Services Act, 1951. This act anticipates the conservation of forests and their resources, which is the primary goal of this agency.
India is known as the land of woods, as it has a large number of forests. Wildlife is one of the forest’s most precious treasures. In this approach, an official authority (IFS) is required to safeguard the forest’s different flora and wildlife and ensure their preservation. The forest officer is required to travel extensively inside the forest and woodland.
This adventure becomes a part of your life, and as the only officer, you are responsible for the entire forest and the wild creatures that live there. If we’re talking about pay, it’s a high-pay government service. IFS officers coordinate intelligence collection and lobbying actions in the region assigned. Even in friendly nations, this is extremely dangerous for officers and personnel.
Life of an Indian Forest Service Officer, in a Nutshell
The primary responsibility of an Indian Forest Service officer is to carry out the National Forest Policy with environmental stability and ecological balance. The officers of separate states and cadres safeguard the area’s safety and growing environmental concerns all the time. IFS personnel are responsible for protecting flora and animals in a particular region.
Indian Forest Service officers can refer to various positions in state forestry agencies. To ensure environmental sustainability and the preservation of natural ecosystems is one of the critical objectives of the Indian Forest Service Officer. The Head of the Forest Forces will be the highest-ranking Indian Forest Service official in each state.
The Indian Forest Service Officers of various state governments and frameworks ensure the region’s security and developing environmental challenges. It is one of the illustrious careers that offer competent employees solid employment and competitive pay.
The responsibilities for this job would include ensuring the long-term survival of animals and plants in the region promoting sustainable agriculture, management, and wildlife habitat protection to improve livelihood prospects in rural and remote areas.
Indian Forest Service Officers work in state forest departments in various capacities. When deployed in the field, IFS officers seek to develop, conserve, and preserve forests and wildlife to improve livelihood possibilities for forest-dependent populations in rural and tribal regions.
The Indian Forest Service Officer is in charge of ensuring that these animals and plants can survive, thrive, and reproduce.
Indian Forest Service Officer: Works and responsibilities
Our country is home to several unique plants and animal varieties. An IFS officer’s job or essential is to guarantee that these plants and animals may stay, develop, and thrive in the natural habitat that nature has provided for them. This job is mainly determined by your ability to cope with the job and how diligently you carry out your responsibilities.
The Indian Forest Service officers are responsible for any problems that arise in their (wildlife of a particular place) daily lives. Inspection is the primary duty of an IFS officer, who usually checks forestry goods and animals to detect harmful illnesses, infestations, or growth rates.
The process of safeguarding and preserving species and ecosystems to support sustainable native animals or communities or improve natural habitats is known as wildlife conservation, which is also significant work for an IFS Officer. Wild animals will supply strength and control to the natural environment’s processes as part of the world’s ecosystem services.
An IFS Officer frequently travels into the most distant locations of human civilization inside the country as part of the employment. One of the significant responsibilities of an IFS Officer is Forest data collection and measuring information in an established framework. Forest data collecting is an integral part of data analysis, including natural and social sciences.
Life of an Indian Forest Service Officer: Quick facts and types of IFS Officers
IFS personnel are also frequently confronted with natural and artificial disasters like – fires in the woods, deforestation, violent human-animal interactions, animal poaching, hunting, and many more. There are different Indian Forest Services (IFS) types so you can prefer any of these.
You can be a Forester in charge of the forest’s management. A forester is in charge of enforcing forest laws and experts in forest wood and forest conservation. A forester is involved in harvesting seedlings and creating other tropical forests, all while conserving biodiversity and protecting animal ecosystems.
You can prefer to be a Conservationist, which is also a great post in this service. For this particular position, you need to protect and conserve the environment. But the duty is not limited to the environment; it also encompasses archaeology and ecology, including plant and animal species. Wandering around the woods to gather species clues might be part of the job.
You can also be a Wildlife Enforcement Officer; this position is for the highly qualified individual responsible for enforcing wildlife and natural resource laws and regulations.
The IFS Officer is a specialist in charge of enforcing laws and regulations in national forests, national parks, and other protected areas. The IFS officer must be well-equipped in terms of both tools and training. They must also deal with poachers, hunters, trappers, and hikers.
How to clear UPSC and become an Indian Forest Service Officer?
The UPSC (Union Public Service Commission) oversees the Indian Forest Service (IFS). There are three rounds in this examination – the preliminary examination, the main examination, and the interview round- the stages of the selection process.
For a post in the IFS, a candidate must first pass the UPSC’s selection procedure. An applicant must pass three selection phases before being accepted into the Indian Forest Service.
- The IFS preliminary examination consists of two sets of papers in both English and Hindi.
- Aspirants will be asked multiple-choice questions with choices in the prelims paper.
- The two papers are each worth 200 points, for 400 points.
- If you pass the preliminary test, you will be invited to take the main examination.
- After qualifying for the mains, you will be invited to the final interview stage.
- A candidate’s qualifying mark is the sum of their mains and interview scores.
Indian Forest Service Officer: Eligibility Criteria for this job
If you want to be an IFS officer, you have to sit for the UPSC examinations to join the Indian Forest Service. The committee has established eligibility conditions, and if you meet these requirements, you are eligible to take this test. The UPSC sets eligibility requirements for the IFS examination.
- For the first, one must be an Indian citizen.
- Your age must be 21 years or more, and you are eligible to sit for this exam till 32.
- It is necessary to pass the prelims and mains to appear for the final round.
- Candidates who hold a Bachelor’s degree in Agriculture, Forestry, or Engineering from a recognized institution are qualified to take the IFS test.
- Candidates who have a bachelor’s degree in Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Science, as well as one of the following subjects: Botany, Mathematics, Zoology, Geology, Chemistry, or Physics, can sit for this all India based entrance.
Life of an Indian Forest Service Officer: Career Path and Progression
The Indian Forest Service (IFS) is a division of India’s Central Services. For the monetary perks, the lifestyle of being a diplomat, and the particular difficulties this profile provides, an IFS job is a sought-after role. After two years of hardcore training at IGNFA, a Forest Service Officer joined the Assistant Conservator post.
The primary role of these officers is to help the department’s higher-ranking officials and to complete the responsibilities allocated to them. They also have particular tasks that are specific to their position.
- The additional chief conservator of forest assists the Principal Chief Conservator of Forest in various ways and is responsible for carrying out the chief’s obligations.
- After two or three years serving in the ACF post, you can get promoted and be the Deputy Conservator of forests (DCF). After doing another seven to eight years in this position, you can achieve the highest level of IFS cadre, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests.
- It is also known as the Forest Force Commander. The primary role is to handle a state’s forests, environment, and wildlife concerns.
- If you are on central deputation, you can serve as a deputy forest conservator or a divisional Forest Officer. You have to handle the forest, environment, and wildlife concerns in a Forest Division for this position.
- You can also become a forest range officer (FRO) responsible for the efficient administration of the particular forest range, with the directives of the Deputy or Divisional Conservator of Forests.
Indian Forest Service Officer: Job Type And Salary
An IFS Officer is a government personnel who can enjoy job stability and a generous income and benefits package without a shadow of a doubt. The wage of a forest department officer varies depending on their position. The fundamental role of the Indian Forest Service is to preserve the balance between humans and nature.
For the Indian Forest Service, a candidate can apply for various positions in several divisions. Here we are discussing the compensation ranges in the IFS department.
- At the beginning of your career as an Assistant Inspector General of Forest, you can earn at least 50,000 (INR) per month; after two years in this position, you can have at least 70000 per month.
- For Deputy Inspector General of Forest, you can earn 60000 (INR) per month. After two to three years, you can make at least 75 to 85000 (INR) per month.
- If you are the Inspector General of Forest or Chief Conservator, then at the beginning you can earn at least 65000 (INR) per month, after three to four years you can earn at least 1 lakh per month.
- If you are serving as an additional Principal Chief Conservator, then at the very early stage, you can earn at least 75000 (INR) per month, and after working seven to eight years in this position, you can make at least 1.8 lakhs per month.
- For the Principal Chief Conservator of Forest position, you can earn at least 90,000 (INR) per month initially; then, you can earn 2.5 lakhs per month after serving eight to nine years in this position. This is a very prestigious job.
- The Indian Forest Service officers are responsible for any problems that arise in their daily lives. IFS personnel are frequently confronted with natural and artificial disasters that imperil the lives and habitats of animals, such as deforestation, forest fires, and breed vulnerability, among other things.
Advantages & Disadvantages Of Becoming An IFS Officer
An opportunity or professional aspect is like a coin, has two sides: advantages and disadvantages. When you begin your career as a forest officer, you will discover many excellent and helpful options and some troubles.
Advantages
You can serve long-term with rewards such as several employee benefits and a handsome salary.
With the announcement of each pay commission, there has been a significant increase in compensation, which is very good according to market ranges. So if you want to be an IFS officer, you will be a cadre and enjoy the benefits of central government jobs.
Disadvantages
Forest Officers who work for the Indian Forest Service are constantly susceptible to animal assaults; this is a proven statistic.
Forest officers are in charge of safeguarding the forest’s natural resources and animals. As a result, they have to be very careful to avoid any unpleasant incidents.
Life of an Indian Forest Service Officer: FAQ
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Does an Indian Forest Service officer get a bungalow?
Like other services, Forest Service Officers also provided an official Bungalow and a Vehicle with a driver.
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Does an Indian Forest Service officer get a pension?
An IFS officer will get a guaranteed pension. They start from 10,000 (INR) per month to 1, 25,000 (INR) per month until death.
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Do Indian Forest Service officers go to Lbsnaa?
Training of the IFS Probationers has become more intensive, and the prior 20 months of training held at IGNFA and a Foundation Course at LBSNAA for 4 months.
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Can a girl become an IFS officer?
Yes, of course, a girl can become a forest service officer after clearing the UPSC examination.
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What do female IFS officers wear?
The female IFS officers wear saree during events such as national day functions, high-level visits, etc. But as regular attire, a female IFS officer can wear a formal dress and not a saree to work.
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Does Indian Forest Service get cars?
An IFS officer gets a car and a driver to travel for their field service.
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Do Indian Forest Service officers get holidays?
IFS officer earned 30 days leave, with a casual leave of 8 days and 2 days Holiday leave in India.
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Is IFS a good career option?
Yes, IFS is a great career option with several allowances, rewards, and bonuses.
Conclusion: Life of an Indian Forest Service Officer
An IFS officer coordinates information collection and lobbying actions in the region in which they are stationed. Even in friendly nations, this is extremely dangerous for officers and personnel. The Indian Forest Service test is just as difficult to pass as any other civil service exam.
It indeed necessitates a great deal of rigorous studying, hard effort, note-taking, and so on. In recent years, the Indian Foreign Service has taken on an average of 40-45 candidates every year. The IFS officer’s key responsibility is to conserve and maintain the forest’s legacy.
You must keep an eye on illicit tree logging and collaborate with forest rangers and security officers. You also help by planting trees in the forest and participating in these activities.
