IAS Eligibility Criteria

(i) Age limits :

21-30 years as on 1.7.2023. (Upper age limit relaxable for SCs/STs, OBCs and certain other categories as specified in Para 3(ii) of Notice).

(ii) Educational Qualifications :

Bachelor�s degree of a recognised university with at least one of the subjects namely Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Science, Botany, Chemistry, Geology, Mathematics, Physcs, Statistics and Zoology or a Bachelor's degree in Agriculture, Forestry or in Enginerring or an equivalent qualification (Para 3(iii) of Notice).

(iii) No. of permissible attempts :

Four (Seven attemps of OBCs and no limit for SCs/STs (Para 3 (iv) of Notice)

(iv) Fee :

Instructions to candidates for filling up the Application Form for the Indian Forest Service Examination, 2023.

Column 1 : Examination for which applying
Darken the circle against "IFS", in the box pertaining to Name of examination, write IFS starting from the first box on the left. Also write 2023 in the boxes meant for year of examination.

Column 2 : Fee

If you have paid the requisite fee of Rs. 100/- (Rupees One hundred only), darken circle 1 and write 1 in the box; or
If you have not paid the fee and are claiming fee remission as SC, ST or Physically Handicapped, darken circle 2 and write 2 in the box.

N.B. : Fee is payable only in the form of Central Recruitment Fee Stamp, as per instructions against Column 12.

Column 3 : (I) Whether Physically Handicapped?

If you are not a physically handicapped person, darken circle 1 for No and write 1 in the box; or
If you are a physically handicapped person, darken circle 2 for yes and write 2 in the box.
(II) If yes, indicate category

Fill up this Column only if your answer to Column 3(I) is yes.
If you are Orthopaedically handicapped, darken circle 1 and write 1 in the box; or
If you are Blind, darken circle 2 and write 2 in the box; or
If you are Deaf-Mute, darken circle 3 and write 3 in the box.

Column 4 : Community
If you belong to SC, darken circle 1 and write 1 in the box; or
If you belong to ST, darken circle 2 and write 2 in the box; or
If you belong to OBC, darken circle 3 and write 3 in the box; or
If you belong to General Category (Others), darken circle 4 and write 4 in the box.

Note 1 : Candidates belonging to OBCs but comming in the Creamy Layer and thus not being entitled to OBC reservation should indicate their community as "General Category (Others) Code No. 4".
Note 2 : Candidates belonging to neither SC, ST, nor OBC communities should write Code No. 4 (General Category) against the Column for Community and not leave it blank.
Note 3 : No change in the community status indicated by a candidate in his/her application form for the Examination will ordinarily be allowed by the Commission at a subsequent stage.

Column 5 : Sex
If you are Male, darken circle 1 and write 1 in the box; or
If you are Female, darken circle 2 and write 2 in the box;

Column 6 : Nationality

If you are an Indian national, darken circle 1 and write 1 in the box; or
If you are not an Indian national, darken circle 2 and write 2 in the box.

Column 7 : Name of the candidate
For filling up this column, first write in the boxes your full name (in English) in capital letters exactly as recorded in your Matriculation/High School/Secondary or equivalent examination certificate. Write a single letter in a box. Leave a box blank between any two parts of the name. Then darken the corresponding circle below each letter. Do not darken a circle below a blank box. Do not overshoot the boxes. Abbreviate name only if necessary. Do not use any prefix such as shri, Kum., Dr. etc with your name.
See sample filled up form in the brochure for guidance.

Column 8 : Date of Birth
Darken the appropriate circles for the day, month and year of your birth as recorded in your Matriculation/High School/Secondary or equivalent examination certificate. Then write in the boxes using numerals 01 to 31 for day; numerals 01 to 12 for month and the last two digits for the year of birth.
See sample filled up form in the brochure for guidance.

Column 9 : Father�s Name
Write your father�s name (in English) in capital letters. Write a single letter in each box. Leave a box blank between any two parts of the name. Do not use any prefix such as Shri, Dr. etc.

Column 10 : Address
Write your complete mailing address including your name in English capital letters or Hindi within the box provided for the purpose. Also write the PIN Code therein. Write with blue or black ball pen only. Do not write outside the box. Please note that this address will be photocopied as such in all letters to be sent to you and therefore, it should be very clearly and legibly written.
If you make any mistake in writing the address, cover the whole box with an exact sized white paper slip and rewrite your address on that.

Column 11 : Photograph
Paste firmly in the space provided your recent photograph of 4 cm. x 5 cm. size (preferably in Black & white). Do not staple the photograph. Photograph should neither be signed by you nor it should be got attested.

Column 12 : Space for CRF Stamp

Fee to be paid for the Indian Forest Service Examination is Rs. 100/- (Rupees One hundred only). SC/ST and Physically Handicapped candidates are not required to pay any fee. No fee exemption is however available to OBC candidates and they are required to pay the prescribed full fee.

Fee is payable only through Central Recruitment Fee Stamp (Not postage stamps). No other mode of payment is acceptable. Obtain only one single CRF Stamp of Rs. 100/- denomination from the post office and paste it firmly within the box. After pasting the CRF Stamp on the form, get it cancelled from the post office of purchase in the space provided. Do not staple the CRF Stamp.

Side 2 of Application Form

Column 13 : (I) Are you residing in a remote area or abroad
If you are residing in a remote area specified in Para 6 of the Notice of the Examination or abroad, darken circle 1 against Yes and write 1 in the box; or
If you are not residing in a specified remote area/abroad, darken circle 2 against No and write 2 in the box.

N.B. : Candidates residing in a remote area specified in the Notice of the Examination or abroad are entitled to one week�s additional time for submission of application form.
(II) If yes, indicate area code :
Darken the appropriate circles for the area code as given below and then write the same code in the boxes.

Area	Code	Area	Code
Assam	01	Sikkim	08
Meghalaya	02	Jammu & Kashmir	09
Arunachal Pradesh	03	Lahaul and Spiti District and Pangi Sub Division of Chamba District of Himachal Pradesh	10
Mizoram	04
Manipur	05	Andman & NicobarIsland	11
Nagaland	06	Lakshadweep	12
Tripura	07	Abroad	13

Column 14 : Examination Centre Code
Choose the Examination Centre from the list given below where you wish to appear and see its code. Darken the appropriate circles and then write the same code in the boxes. Do not indicate more than one centre.

List of Centres of Examination

Centre	Code	Centre	Code	Centre	Code
Agartala	45	Gangtok	42	Panaji (Goa)	36
Ahmedabad		Hyderabad	10	Patna	15
Aizawal	47	Imphal	44	Port Blair	37
Allahabad	02	Itanagar	48	Raipur	49
Bangalore	03	Jaipur	11	Ranchi	41
Bareilly	54	Jammu	34	Sambalpur	53
Bhopal	04	Jorhat	46	Shillong	16
Chandigarh	35	Kochi	24	Shimla	17
Chennai	12	Kohima	43	Srinagar	18
Cuttack	07	Kolkata	06	Thiruvananthapuram	19
Dehradun	14	Lucknow	26	Tirupati	50
Delhi	08	Madurai	40	Udaipur	52
Dharwar	39	Mumbai	05	Vishakhapatnam	51
Dispur	09	Nagpur	13

Column 15 : Educational Qualification Code

Codes prescribed for educational qualification are as follows :

Code	Educational qualification
01	If you have already passed the requisite qualifying Examination, with prescribed subject;
02	If you have appeared/appearing at the requisite qualifying Examination, with prescribed subject;

Choose the correct code applicable in your case and darken the appropriate circles. Write the same code in the boxes.
 Note: For prescribed subjects see para 3 (iii) of Notice.
 
Column 16:
(I) Whether claiming age relaxation
If you are claiming age relaxation, darken circle 1 for Yes and write 1 in the box; or If you are not claiming age relaxation, darken circle 2 for No and write 2 in the box.
 (II) If Yes, indicate category code Fill up this Column only if your response to Column 16(I) is Yes. Darken the appropriate circles for category codes given below and then write the same code in the boxes.
Category - Codes for Claiming Age Relaxation
 (Refer Para 3(ii) (b) of Commission�s Notice published in the Employment News/Rozgar Samachar)

Code No.	Category	Extent of Age Relaxation Permissible
01.	SC and ST	5 years
02	OBC	3 years
03	Blind, deaf-mute and Orthopaedically handicapped persons.	10 years
04	Blind, deaf-mute and Orthopaedically handicapped persons + SC/ST	15 years
05	Blind, deaf-mute and Orthopaedically handicapped persons + OBC	13 years
06	Defence Services Personnel disabled in operations during hostilities with any foreign country or in a disturbed area and released as a consequence thereof.	3 years
07	Defence Services Personnel(as against Code No. 06) + SC/ST	8 years
08	Defence Services Personnel(as against Code No. 06) + OBC 6 years
09	Ex-Servicemen including Commissioned offices and ECOs/SSCOs who have rendered at least five years Military Service as on 1st January, 2023 and have been released (i) on completion of assignment (including those whose assignment is due to be completed within one year from 1st January, 2023) otherwise than by way of dismi-ssal or discharge on account of misconduct or inefficiency;or (ii) on account of physical disability attributable to Military Service; or (iii) on invalidment.	5 years
10	Ex-Servicemen including Commissioned Officers and ECOs/SSCOs (as against Code No. 09) + SC/ST	10 years
11	Ex-Servicemen including + OBC Commissioned Officers and ECOs/SSCOs (as against Code No. 09)	8 years
12	ECOs/SSCOs who have completed an initial period of assignment of five years of Military Service as on 1st January,2023 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 months notice on selection from the date of receipt of offer of appointment.	5 years
13	ECOs/SSCOs (as againstCode No. 12) + SC/ST	10 years
14	ECOs/SSCOs (as againstCode No. 12) + OBC	8 years
15	Candidates who had ordinarily been domiciled in the State of Jammu & Kashmir during the period from 1st January, 1980 to 31st December, 1989	5 years
16	Candidates who had ordinarily been domiciled in the State of J & K (as against Code No. 15) + SC/ST	10 years
17	Candidates who had ordinarily been domiciled in the State of J & K (as against Code No. 15) + OBC	8 years

(I) Optional subject
Choose any two optional subject from the list given below and see their codes. Darken the appropriate circles and then write the same code in the boxes.

(II) No. of attempts already made?
Write the number of attempts already made by you in the Indian Forest Services Examination in the boxes and darken the appropriate circles. If no attempt has been made by you earlier, darken circles 00 and write �00� in the boxes.

Columns 21 and 22 :
Candidates appearing for the Indian Forest Services Examination 2023 are not required to fill any of these columns. They should, therefore, leave these Columns blank.

Column 23 : Declaration
The candidate must read the declaration carefully before signing. In Sub-para (i), the candidate must fill up the Examination Notice number viz. 06/2023 and date of publication of Notice in Employment News/Rozgar Samachar viz., 05.02.2023 in the spaces provided before the asterisk marks.

Column 24 : Signature of candidate
Make your usual signature in blue or black ball pen within the box provided. Your signature must not overflow or touch the border of the box provided. Do not merely write your name in capital letters in place of signature. Unsigned applications will be rejected.
Also write the place and date of signing the form in the spaces provided for the purpose.

Verify the following before mailing the application
1. That you have used the application form purchased from the designated Head Post Offices/Post Offices only.

2. That you have filled in all the relevant columns of the application form by blackening the appropriate circles and also writing the corresponding code(s) in boxes. It may be carefully checked that there is no variation between the entries made by you by darkening the circles and those written in the accompanying boxes.

3. That you have pasted your recent photograph preferably in black & white (unsigned and unattested) in column 11 of the application form.

4. That in case you are required to pay fee, you have affixed a Central Recruitment Fee Stamp of Rs. 100/- denomination in column 12 of the application form and have got it cancelled from the Post Office.

5. That you have signed in column 24 of the application form.

6. That only one application form and one acknowledgement card is being mailed in the envelope supplied to you with the Brochure and no other enclosure is attached therewith.

7. That you have written the name of examination viz., "Indian Forest Service Examination, 2023" on the envelope meant for despatch of application form and acknowledgement card. SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR CANDIDATES

Special instructions to Candidates for Conventional type of papers