Lets Us Guide You On How to Become an Indian Forest Services Officer

Are you a nature lover? Are you interested in trekking and outdoor activities? Do you find yourself intrigued by wildlife? Are you passionate about living a life for the improvement of forests and wildlife? Are you interested in working amidst nature and wild forests rather than a desk job? Do you think you can contribute to protecting the wildlife and forests? If love for nature and wildlife is what drives you, then let it take charge. If you want to know more about what an IFOS does, then find out more.

An IFS officer is involved in forest conservation and preservation activities, for example, protecting forest trees and analyzing the overall depletion of forest cover, inspecting illegal felling of trees, initiating and organizing tree-planting drives and programs, ensuring safety and prevention of wildlife animals, and so on.

Why become an Indian Forest Services Officer?

Indian Forest Service (IFoS) is one of the three All India Services of the Union Government of India. As an Indian Forest Service (IFoS) officer you would be involved in implementation and execution of the plans and projects under the National Forest Policy. The National Forest Policy aims at retaining environmental stability by maintaining and restoring ecological balance, protecting natural heritage, increasing forest covers via afforestation and other programmes, increasing forest use productivity to fulfil national needs and many other purposes.

As an IFoS officer, you would be involved in various forest conservation and preservation activities such as protecting forest trees and analysing the overall depletion of forest cover, inspecting illegal felling of trees, initiating and organising tree-planting drives and afforestation programmes, ensuring safety and prevention of wildlife animals, ensuring that all the forest rules and regulations are being obeyed, drafting of legal laws and rules that preserve and protect the wildlife, and so on.

As an Indian Forest Service Officer, you will be entrusted with the responsibility of planning and implementing of Forest Policies and also managing the public and private forested land for economic and conservational objectives.You will also determine how to conserve wildlife habitats, examine the quality of water, stability, and fertility of the soil, and how environmental laws and rules are followed. You will also be formulating plans and strategies for planting and growing trees to increase forest cover to maintain ecological balance.

What does an Indian Forest Services Officer do?

• As an IFoS officer you would monitor contract compliance and results of forestry activities to assure adherence to government regulations.
• As an IFoS officer you would plan and supervise forestry projects, such as determining the type, number and placement of trees to be planted, managing tree nurseries, thinning forest and monitoring growth of new seedlings.
• As an IFoS officer you would establish short-and long-term plans for management of forest lands and forest resources.
• As an IFoS officer you would determine methods of cutting and removing timber with minimum waste and environmental damage.
• As an IFoS officer you would supervise activities of other forestry workers.
• As an IFoS officer you would perform inspections of forests or forest nurseries.
• As an IFoS officer you would plan and direct forest surveys and related studies and prepare reports and recommendations.
• As an IFoS officer you would negotiate terms and conditions of agreements and contracts for forest harvesting, forest management and leasing of forest lands.
• As an IFoS officer you would plan cutting programs and manage timber sales from harvested areas, assisting companies to achieve production goals.
• As an IFoS officer you would contact local forest owners and gain permission to take inventory of the type, amount, and location of all standing timber on the property.
• As an IFoS officer you would map forest area soils and vegetation to estimate the amount of standing timber and future value and growth.
• As an IFoS officer you would monitor forest-cleared lands to ensure that they are reclaimed to their most suitable end use.
• As an IFoS officer you would plan and implement projects for conservation of wildlife habitats and soil and water quality.
• As an IFoS officer you would provide advice and recommendations, as a consultant on forestry issues, to private woodlot owners, firefighters, government agencies or to companies.
• As an IFoS officer you would monitor wildlife populations and assess the impacts of forest operations on population and habitats.

How to become an IFoS Officer – Educational Requirement

To become an Indian Forest Services Officer, you have to appear for and clear a UPSC (Union Public Service Commission) examination process. To appear for UPSC Indian Forest Service Examination, you must have a bachelor’s degree in science or Engineering. After completing your graduation, you can start preparing for Indian Forest Service Examination conducted by UPSC. A post-graduation isn’t necessary to appear in this examination as the preparation of this examination is entirely different.

Job Opportunities

Once you have successfully cleared the Indian Forest Services Examination, you will be assigned for a Foundation training at Lal Bahadur Shashtri National Academy of Administration at Mussoorie. After the Training at LBSNAA, you will be sent for Forest Service Specific Orientation at the Indira Gandhi National Forest Academy (Dehradun).Here, you will be trained in Forest and Wildlife Management, Soil conservation, Surveying, and Scheduled Tribes. After training, you will initially be appointed as an Assistant Conservator of Forests / Range Forest Officer.

Salary of an IFoS Officer

As a Probationary Officer / Assistant Conservator of Forests / Asst. Dy. Conservator of Forests, you will earn around Rs. 55,000 – Rs.60,000 per month.

As a senior Deputy Conservator of Forests, you will earn around Rs. 65,000 – Rs. 70,000 per month.

As a Junior Deputy Conservator of Forests, you will earn around Rs. 75,000 – Rs. 80,000 per month.

As a Deputy Conservator of Forests (Selection Grade), you will earn around Rs. 1,15, 000 – Rs. 1,20, 000 per month.

As a Conservator of Forests / Chief Wildlife Warden, you will earn around Rs. 1,45,000 – Rs. 1,50,000 per month.

As a Chief Conservator of Forests, you will earn around Rs. 1,70,000 – Rs. 1,80,000 per month.

As a Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, you will earn around Rs. 2,00,000 – Rs. 2,25,000 per month.

As a Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Head of Forest Force), you will earn around Rs. 2,50,000 per month.

Career Progression as an IFoS Officer Profession

At entry level you will be appointed as Assistant Conservator of Forests. The following are the posts according to the ranks:

• Assistant Conservator of Forests
• Deputy Conservator of Forests
• Conservator of Forests
• Chief Conservator of Forests
• Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forest
• Principal Chief Conservator of Forests
• Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Head of Forest Forces)

What does industry trends say – future prospects

According to the 68^th annual report provided by the UPSC, it is estimated that around 3057222 is the total number of applications received for Civil Services Examinations in the year 2017-18. The recruitment process usually depends on the ruling government policies and most importantly by the policies and requirements for administrative officers. The career growth in this field is slow but with necessary Forest Policy changes are taking place, there is still a demand for more effective measures to increase forest areas.

Also, Read;

• How to Become a Forestry Professional
• Unique Science and Mathematics Courses
• UPPSC: A Comprehensive Guide
• Wildlife Biologist
• Highest Salary Jobs in India
• The Most Popular 12th Pass Job Option