Indian Forest Service#History

File:DietrichBrandis.jpg is widely considered as the father of the Service]]

In 1864, the British Raj established the Imperial Forest Department; Dietrich Brandis, a German forest officer, was appointed Inspector General of Forests.{{Cite news|url=https://www.eh-resources.org/colonial-origins-scientific-forestry/|title=The colonial origins of scientific forestry in Britain|date=25 June 2007|work=Environmental History Resources|access-date=5 June 2018|language=en-US}} The Imperial Forestry Service was organized subordinate to the Imperial Forest Department in 1867.{{Cite web |title=Indian Forest Service (History) |url=https://ifs.nic.in/content/Index/?qlid=2009&Ls_is=4093&lngid=1 |access-date=23 December 2023 |website=ifs.nic.in}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.ignfa.gov.in/IndianForestService/tabid/56/language/en-US/Default.aspx |title=Indian Forest Service |last=Academy |first=Indira Gandhi National Forest |website=ignfa.gov.in |access-date=18 October 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160818230053/http://www.ignfa.gov.in/IndianForestService/tabid/56/language/en-US/Default.aspx |archive-date=18 August 2016}}

Officers from 1867 to 1885 were trained in Germany and France, and from 1885 to 1905 at Cooper's Hill, London, also known as Royal Indian Engineering College. From 1905 to 1926, the University of Oxford (Sir William Schlich), University of Cambridge, and University of Edinburgh trained Imperial Forestry Service officers.

The modern Indian Forest Service was established in 1966, after independence, under the All India Services Act 1951. The first Inspector General of Forests, Hari Singh, was instrumental in the development of the Forest Service.

India has an area of 635,400 km² designated as forests, about 19.32% of the country. India's forest policy was created in 1894 and was subsequently revised in the years 1952 and 1988.

Officers are recruited through an open competitive examination under Civil Services Examination, which is conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) from www.ifs.nic.in

Direct Recruits: 66.33 percent of the cadre strength of the service is filled by Direct Recruitment done through the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) by conducting an all India level competitive examination open to graduates with a science background. After qualifying for the written examination, the candidates have to appear for a personality test, a walking test, and a standard medical fitness test.

and then trained for about two years by the Central Government at Indira Gandhi National Forest Academy. Their services are placed under various State cadres and joint cadres, being an All India Service they have the mandate to serve both under the State and Central Governments.{{cite web|url=http://ifsdiaries.blogspot.in|title=IFS Diaries|date=1 March 2015|website=Ifsdiaries.blogspot.in|access-date=27 December 2015}}

They are eligible for State and Central deputations as their counterpart IAS and IPS officers. Deputation of Forest Service officers to the Central Government includes appointments in Central Ministries at the position of Deputy Secretary, Director, Joint Secretary and Additional Secretary etc.; appointments in various Public Sector Units, Institutes and Academies at the position of Chief Vigilance Officer, Regional passport officers, Managing Directors, Inspector General, Director General etc.

On acceptance to the Forest Service, new entrants undergo a probationary period (and are referred to as Officer Trainees). Training begins at the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration in Mussoorie, where members of many civil services are trained for the period of 15 weeks under Foundation Course.

On completion of which they go to the Indira Gandhi National Forest Academy at Dehradun, for a more intensive training for around 16 months in a host of subjects important to Forestry, Wildlife Management, Biodiversity, Environment Protection, Climate Change, Forest Policies and Laws, Remote Sensing and GIS, Forest Dwellers and Scheduled Tribes.{{Cite web|url=http://www.ignfa.gov.in/Training/ProbationersTraining/tabid/67/language/en-US/Default.aspx|title=IFS PROBATIONERS' TRAINING COURSE|website=Indira Gandhi National Forest Academy|access-date=19 January 2018}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.ignfa.gov.in/Training/ProbationersTraining/TheTraining/tabid/335/language/en-US/Default.aspx|title=The Training|website=Indira Gandhi National Forest Academy|access-date=19 January 2018}} After completion of their training, the officers are awarded a master's degree in Science (Forestry) of Forest Research Institute. The officers are taught more than 56 subjects of life sciences.{{Cite web |last=Training Course |first=IFS probationers |title=Indian Forest Service (Probationers' Training and Evaluation) Rules, 2023 |url=https://ifs.nic.in/AddLink/getIMG/15309}}

They are also taught weapon handling, horse riding, motor vehicle training, swimming, forest and wildlife crime detections. They also go on attachments with different government bodies and institutes such as Indian Military Academy, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy, Wildlife Institute of India, Bombay Natural History Society etc. They also undertake extensive tours both in India and a short tour abroad.

File:Forest Research Institute campus, Dehradun, India.jpg in Dehradun]]

After completing training at the academy, candidates go through a four month long on-the-job field training in the state to which he or she is assigned, during which they are posted as Assistant Conservators of Forests/ Assistant Deputy Conservators of Forest or Deputy Conservator of Forests.

The Union Government announced a new cadre allocation policy for the All India Services in August 2017.{{Cite web|url=http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-centre-amends-cadre-allocation-policy-to-protect-national-character-of-all-india-services-2536413|title=New cadre Policy which focuses on National Integration of All India Services|last=Dutta|first=Amrita Nayak|date=21 August 2017|website=Daily News and Analysis|access-date=21 August 2017}}{{Cite web|url=http://indianexpress.com/article/india/new-cadre-policy-for-ias-ips-4810709/|title=New cadre policy for IAS, IPS|date=24 August 2017|website=The Indian Express|access-date=24 August 2017}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.livemint.com/Politics/x5gb1MTwzWCn35dsdBKRqI/Govts-proposed-cadre-policy-for-IAS-IPS-officers-draws-ire.html|title=Govt's proposed cadre policy for IAS, IPS officers draws ire|last=Bhaskar|first=Utpal|date=24 August 2017|website=Live Mint|publisher=HT Media Ltd|access-date=19 September 2017}}{{Cite web|url=http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/govt-finalises-new-cadre-policy-for-ias-ips-officers/1/1032277.html|title=Govt finalises new cadre policy for IAS, IPS officers|date=23 August 2017|editor-last=Shrivastava|editor-first=Ashwini|website=India Today|access-date=10 September 2017}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/govt-finalises-new-allocation-policy-for-ias-ips-officers/story-N22dUxnK9bGU73JaNoC3xN.html|title=IAS, IPS allocation policy rejigged for 'national integration of bureaucracy'|date=23 August 2017|website=Hindustan Times|access-date=10 September 2017}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.deccanchronicle.com/nation/current-affairs/240817/government-finalises-new-cadre-policy-for-ias-ips-officers.html|title=Central government finalises new cadre policy for IAS, IPS officers|date=24 August 2017|website=Deccan Chronicle|access-date=10 September 2017}}{{Cite web|url=http://persmin.gov.in/AIS1/Docs/cadrepolicy2017.pdf|title=Cadre Allocation Policy for the All India Services-IAS/IPS/IFS — Reg|date=5 September 2017|website=Department of Personnel and Training, Government of India|access-date=10 September 2017}}{{Excessive citations inline|date=September 2021}}

Under the new policy, a candidate has to rank the five zones in order of preference. Subsequently, the candidate has to indicate one preference of cadre from each preferred zone. The candidate indicates their second cadre preference for every preferred zone subsequently. The process continues till a preference for all the cadres is indicated by the candidate.

Officers continue to work in the cadre they are allotted or are deputed to the Government of India.{{cite web|url=http://ifs.nic.in/deputation/con-depu%20guide.pdf|title=Consolidated Deputation Guidelines for All India Services|date=28 November 2007|website=Department of Personnel and Training, Government of India|language=en|url-status=dead|access-date=13 August 2017|archive-date=18 September 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170918064440/http://ifs.nic.in/deputation/con-depu%20guide.pdf}}

Till 2008 there was no system of preference of state cadre by the candidates; the candidates, if not placed in the insider vacancy of their home states, were allotted to different states in alphabetic order of the roster, beginning with the letters A, H, M, T for that particular year. For example, if in a particular year, the roster begins from 'A', which means the first candidate on the roster will go to the Andhra Pradesh state cadre of the Forest Service, the next one to Bihar, and subsequently to Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, and so on in alphabetical order.{{Cite web|url=http://persmin.gov.in/AIS1/Docs/OldCadreAllocPolicy.pdf|title=Old Cadre allocation policy for All India Services – IAS/IPS/IFS|date=30 May 1985|website=Department of Personnel and Training, Government of India|access-date=13 August 2017}} The next year the roster starts from 'H', for either Haryana or Himachal Pradesh (if it had started from Haryana on the previous occasion when it all started from 'H', then this time it would start from Himachal Pradesh). This highly intricate system, in vogue since the mid-1980s, had ensured that officers from different states were placed all over India.

The system of permanent State cadres has also resulted in wide disparities in the kind of professional exposure for officers when we compare officers in small and big and developed and backward states. Changes of state cadre were permitted on the grounds of marriage to an All India Service officer of another state cadre or under other exceptional circumstances. The officer may go to their home state cadre on deputation for a limited period, after which one has to invariably return to the cadre allotted to him or her.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-wfGxBk09uAC&pg=RA1-PA325|title=Indian Administration (Vol. 2) (Educational Philosophy of Dr. Zakir Hussain)|last1=Ganihar|first1=N.|last2=Belagali|first2=Dr. H. V.|publisher=Global Vision Publishing House|year=2009|isbn=9788182202412|page=325|access-date=4 September 2017}}

From 2022 to 2028 Forest Service officers were allotted to State cadres at the beginning of their service. There was one cadre for each Indian state, except for two joint cadres: Assam–Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh–Goa–Mizoram–Union Territories (AGMUT). The "insider-outsider ratio" (ratio of officers who were posted in their home states) is maintained as 1:2, with one-third of the direct recruits as 'insiders' from the same state.{{Cite web|url=http://persmin.gov.in/AIS1/Docs/CAP2009-P2.pdf|title=Revised Cadre Allocation Policy w.e.f. CSE-2009, dated 15.06.2011|date=15 June 2011|website=Department of Personnel and Training, Government of India|access-date=13 August 2017}} The rest were posted as outsiders according to the 'roster' in states other than their home states, as per their preference.

Pay structure of Indian Forest Service

The Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Hindi: प्रधान मुख्य वन संरक्षक) is the highest-ranking officer belonging to the Indian Forest Service who is responsible for managing the Forests, Environment and Wild-Life related issues of a state of India.{{Cite web|url=https://forest.assam.gov.in/|title=Home | Principal Chief Conservator of Forest & Head of Forest Force | Government Of Assam, India|website=forest.assam.gov.in}}

It is the highest rank of an officer of the Indian Forest Service in a State.

At times the states may have more than one post of PCCF and in that case, one of them, usually the senior most officer, is designated as the Head of Forest Force (HOFF). HOFF/PCCF is supported by APCCFs, Chief Conservator of Forests, Conservator of Forests, and field level functionaries, such as DFOs and Range Forest officers in their work.

The acronym of IFS is often confused with the another central service of Indian Foreign Service. This resulted in frequent tussle between the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate change and the Ministry of External Affairs on which service to adopt IFS as it's acronym. However, both services continue to use IFS as their official acronym as on date, as their domains of working are completely different with independent mandates.

The National Commission for Scheduled Tribes has proposed the idea of renaming the Indian Forest Service as the ‘Indian Forest and Tribal Service’. However, the idea of renaming was later dropped.{{cite web |title=Change the name, make it Indian Forest and Tribal Services, ST panel to tell govt|url=https://theprint.in/india/governance/change-the-name-make-it-indian-forest-and-tribal-services-st-panel-to-tell-govt/143436/|work=The Print|date=November 2018 |access-date=9 November 2020}}{{cite news |title=Government plans to rename Indian Forest Service ahead of 2019 election|url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/government-plans-to-rename-indian-forest-service-ahead-of-2019-election/articleshow/67429919.cms?from=mdr|work=The Economic Times|access-date=9 November 2020|last1 = Sharma|first1 = Nidhi}}

• Cyril Beeson
• Dietrich Brandis
• Frederick Walter Champion
• Hugh Cleghorn
• Peter Clutterbuck
• James Sykes Gamble
• Edgar Peacock
• Wilhelm Philipp Daniel Schlich
• Bertram Smythies
• E. A. Smythies
• Robert Scott Troup
• E.C.Mobbs

• Jal Ardeshir Master (Chief Conservator of Forests Madras Presidency)
• Hari Singh
• P. Srinivas
• Dr. Muthoo
• Sanjiv Chaturvedi
• Hemendra Singh Panwar
• Fateh Singh Rathore

• Shri P. Srinivas
• Shri Sanjay Singh{{Cite web|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/life-term-for-four-maoists-10-years-ri-to-one-in-dfo-sanjay-singh-murder-case/story-du9NsKzWKwqdiptDomJCuI.html|title=Life term for four Maoists, 10 years' RI to one, in DFO Sanjay Singh murder case|date=July 5, 2017|website=Hindustan Times}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.thebetterindia.com/218708/bihar-hero-ifs-officer-sanjay-kumar-singh-inspiring-shaheed-india-nor41/|title=Sanjay Kumar Singh: The IFS Officer Who Gave His Life Battling Bihar's Mining Mafia|date=March 7, 2020}}
• Dr. S. Manikandan{{Cite web|url=https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/remembering-s-manikandan-karnataka-ifs-officer-who-lived-and-died-forest-77386|title=Remembering Dr. Manikandan|date=4 March 2018}}

• Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education
• Andhra Pradesh Forest Department
• Maharashtra Forest Department
• Kerala Forest and Wildlife Department
• Tamil Nadu Forest Department
• Van Vigyan Kendra (Forest Science Centres)

{{Reflist}}

• [http://ifs.nic.in/PDF_IFS_CivilList_2017.pdf All Officers of the Forest Service (Civil List)]

{{Public Services of India}}

{{Civil service}}

{{Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (India)}}

{{Indian civil servants}}

Category:All India Services

Category:Forest administration in India

Category:Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change

Category:1966 establishments in India

fr:Fonction publique en Inde#Fonction publique forestière indienne