eGURU

IFS-Introduction
UPSC conducts the Indian Forest Service Exam every year for recruiting officers for the Indian Forest Service. It is also an All India service like IAS and IPS. The Indian Forest Service was created in 1966 for protection, conservation and regeneration of forest resources. Being an All India Service, the members are recruited by the Centre but their services are put under the various State cadres, with the privilege of serving both under the State and under the Centre. 
Indian Forest Service (IFS), offers a highly challenging and rewarding career. The maintenance of the natural resources of the country is very essential for a balanced all round development of the country. Maintenance of forests is so important for maintaining the ecological balance that the Indian Forest Service has been set up for this very purpose. The Indian Forest Service Officers (IFS) who are recruited through UPSC by the Central Government play a very crucial role in the management and supervision of the country’s forest reserves and wild life.
UPSC conducts the Indian Forest Service Exam generally in the month of July. The pattern of exam is similar to that of civil services, and selection is done in three phases. Selected candidates are sent for foundation training at the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration, which is followed by specialised orientation for the Forest Service at the Indira Gandhi National Forest Academy, Dehradun.
Eligibility
Age: A candidate must have attained the age of 21 years and must not have attained the age of 28 years on the first day of July of the year in which examination is held.
The upper age limit may be relaxed in respect of the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes and such other categories of persons as may from time to time be notified in this behalf by the Government of India to the extent and subject to the conditions notified in respect of each category.
Educational Qualifications: A candidate must hold a Bachelor's Degree with at least one of the subjects namely, Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Science, Botany, Chemistry, Geology, Mathematics, Physics, Statistics and Zoology or a Bachelor's degree in Agriculture, Forestry or in Engineering of a recognized University or equivalent. 
Personal Attributes: They must possess considerable physical stamina, endurance, and keen interest in nature conservation and animal protection. They must also have a hardy disposition for facing in unpredictable conditions of work, crusading spirit and excellent skills of observation.
Application
Notification along with application forms for the Indian Forest Service Examination will appear in all daily newspapers and the Rozgar Samachar/ Employment News in the month of January / February. The examination is held once a year, generally in the month of July. A candidate seeking admission must apply to The Secretary, UPSC, Dholpur House, New Delhi 110011 on prescribed application form.
Selection
Plan of the Examination

1. The examination comprises: Written Examination in compulsory and optional subjects
2. Interview for Personality Test of such candidates as may be called by the Commission.

Examination Subjects: The following will be the subjects for the written examination:

Compulsory: (1) General English (2) General Knowledge (150 marks each).

Optional: Any two of the following subjects: (1) Agriculture, (2) Botany, (3) Chemistry, (4) Civil Engineering, (5) Geology, (6) Agricultural Engineering, (7) Chemical Engineering, (8) Mathematics, (9) Mechanical Engineering, (10) Physics (11)  Zoology, (12) Statistics, (13) Forestry and (14) Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Science (200 marks each).
The Examination in all the subjects will be of conventional (Essay) type.
Interview: The written examination is followed by a personality test in the form of personal interview. The interviews are held by the UPSC soon after the result of written test is declared. The marks obtained in the interview are added to the marks obtained by a candidate in the written test to draw up the final merit list.
The main aim of personality test is to judge the suitability of candidates as officers of Indian Forest Service. The candidates appearing in the interview may expect some questions on current affairs, forest related issues, Indian Polity, Planning Process, Budgeting and Economic Geography. The personality test also aims at testing leadership qualities, mental alertness, initiative, balance of judgement, analytical capabilities etc. 
Training: Selected candidates are sent for foundation training at the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy, which is followed by specialised orientation in Forest Service at the Indira Gandhi National Forest Academy, Dehradun with inputs on wildlife management, tribal welfare, soil conservation, forest management, engineering survey, weapon handling etc. 
Standard of Papers: The standard of papers in general English and general knowledge will be as may be expected of a Science/Engineering graduate of an Indian University. The standard of papers in other subjects will be approximately that of Bachelor's degree of an Indian University. 
Syllabus
General English
Candidates will be required to write an essay in English. Other questions will be designed to test their understanding of English and workmanlike use of words. Passages will usually be set for summary or precise.
General Knowledge
General Knowledge, including knowledge of current events and of such matters of every day observation and experience in their scientific aspects as may be expected of an educated person who has not made a special study of any scientific subject. The paper will also include questions on Indian Polity including the political system and the Constitution of India, History of India and Geography of a nature which candidate should be able to answer without special study.
Agriculture
Candidates will be required to answer questions from Sections (A) and (B) or Sections (A) and (C) below:
(A) Agricultural Economics: 
Meaning and scope of agricultural economics, significance of study and its relationship with other sciences, importance of agriculture in Indian Economy, contribution to national income, comparison with other countries, study of significant economic problems in Indian agricultural production, marketing, Labour, credit, etc.
Nature of study of farm management, it's meaning and scope, relation to other physical and social sciences, concepts and basic principles in farm management. Types and systems of farming; determining factors. Planning for profitable use of land, water, labour and equipment, methods of measuring farm efficiency, nature and purpose of farm book-keeping, farm records and accounts, financial accounting; enterprise accounting and complete cost accounting.
(B) Agronomy: 
Crop Production-Detailed study of KHARIF crops; Paddy, Maize, Jowar, Bajra, Groundnut, Til, Cotton, Sunhemp, Moong, Urd with reference to their introduction, distribution, seedbed preparation, improved varieties; sowing and seed-rate inter-culture, harvesting and physical inputs of production of crops.
Detailed study of important RABI crops; Wheat, Barley, Gram, Mustard, Sugarcane, Tobacco, Berseem with reference to their origin, history, distribution, soil and climate requirements, seedbed preparation, improved varieties, sowing and seed-rate inter-culture, harvesting, storing physical inputs of crops.
Weeds and Weed Control-Classification of weeds; habitat and characteristics of important weeds of India. Injurious effects and losses caused by weeds, chief agencies of weed dissemination, cultural, biological and chemical control of weeds.
Principles of Irrigation and Drainage-Necessity and sources of irrigation water, water requirements of crops, common water lifts, duty of water, prevention of wastage of irrigation water, system and methods of irrigation, advantages and limitations of each method. Measurement of irrigation water. Soil moisture, different forms of soil moisture and their importance. Drainage and its necessity, harm caused by excessive water, methods of drainage.
(C) Soil Science and Soi1 Conservation: 
Definition of soil, its main components, soil profile, soil-mineral colloids, cation exchange capacity, base-saturation percentage ion exchange, essential nutrients for plant growth, their forms in the soil and their role in plant nutrition. 
Soil organic matter, its decomposition and its effects on soil fertility. Acid and alkali soils, their formation and reclamation. Effects of organic manures, green manures and fertilizers on soil properties, properties of common nitrogenous, phosphatic and potassic fertilizers.
Mechanical composition and soil texture, soil pore space, soil structure, soil water, types of soil water; its retention, movement, availability and measurement of soil water. Soil temperature, soil air and its importance. Soil structure, its forms and their effects on the physio-chemical properties of soil.
Soil Morphology and Soil Surveying-Earth's crust; soil forming rocks and minerals; their composition and importance in soil formation. Weathering of rocks and minerals, factors, and processes of soil formation, great soil groups of the World and their agricultural importance. Study of Indian soil. Soil survey and classification.
Principles of Soil Conservation-Soil Erosion, factors effecting erosion, soil conservation, soil properties in relation to agronomic and engineering practices, land drainage, needs and practices for agricultural lands, land use classification, soil conservation, planning and program.
Botany 
(1) Survey of the Plant Kingdom:
Difference between animals and plants--Characteristics of living organisms-Unicellular and multi-cellular organisms-Viruses, basis of the division of the plant kingdom.
(2) Morphology: 
(i) Unicellular plants-Cell, its structure and contents: division and multiplication of cells.
(ii) Multi-cellular plants-Differentiation of the body of nonvascular plants and vascular plants; external and internal morphology of vascular plants.
(3) Life History: 
Of at least one member of the following categories of plants; Bacteria Cyanophyceae, Cholorophyceae, Phaeophyceae, Rhodophyceae, Phycomycetes, Ascomycetes, Basidiomycetes, liver-worts, Mosses, Pteridophytes, Gymnosperms and Angiosperms.
(4) Taxonomy: 
Principles of classification; Principal systems of classification of angiosperms; distinctive features and economic importance of the following families; Graminea, Scitaminae, Palmaceae, Liliaceae, Orchidaceae, Moraceae, Loranthaceae, Magnoliaceae, Lauraceae, Cruciferae, Rosaceae, Leguminosae, Rutaceae, Meliaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Anacardiaceae, Malvaceae, Apocynaceae Ascleidaceae, Dipterocarpaceae, Myrtaceae, Umbeliferae, Solanaceae, Rubiceae, Cucurbitaceae, Verbanceae and Compositae.
(5) Plant Physiology: 
Autotrophy, heterotrophy, intake of water and nutrients, transpirations, photosynthesis, mineral nutrition, respiration, growth reproduction; plant/animal relation; symbiosis, parasitism, enzymes, auxins, hormones, photoariodism.
(6) Plant Pathology: 
Cause and cure of plant diseases; disease organisms, Viruses, deficiency disease; disease resistance.
(7) Plant Ecology: 
The basic facts relating to ecology and plant geography, with special relation to Indian flora and the botanical regions of India.
(8) General Biology: 
Cytology, Genetics, Plant breeding, Mendelism, Hybrid vigour, Mutation, Evolution.
(9) Economic Botany: 
Economic uses of plants, especially flowering plants, in relation to human welfare, particularly with reference to such vegetable products as food grains, pulses, fruit, sugar and starches, oilseeds, spices, beverages, fibres, woods, rubber, drugs and essential oils.
(10) History of Botany: 
A general familiarity with the development of knowledge relating to the Botanical Science.
Chemistry
(1) Inorganic Chemistry:
Electronic configuration of elements, Aufbau principle, Periodic classification of elements. Atomic Number, Transition elements and their characteristics.
Atomic and ionic radii, ionization potential, electron affinity and electro negativity.
Natural and artificial radioactivity. Nuclear fission and fusion.
Electronic theory of valency. Elementary ideas about sigma and pie-bonds, hybridization and directional nature of covalent bonds.
Werner's theory of coordination compounds. Electronic configurations of complexes involved in the common metallurgical and analytical operations.
Oxidation states and Oxidation number. Common oxidizing and reducing agents, Ionic equations.
Lewis and Bronsted theories of acids and bases. 
Chemistry of the common elements and their compounds treated especially from the point of view of periodic classification. Principles of extraction isolation (and metallurgy) of important elements.
Structures of hydrogen peroxide, diborane, aluminium chloride and the important oxyacids of nitrogen, phosphorus, chlorine and sulphur.
Inert gases: Isolation and Chemistry. 
Principles of inorganic chemical analysis.
Outlines of the manufacture of: Sodium carbonate, sodium hydroxide, ammonia, nitric acid, sulphuric acid, cement, glass and artificial fertilizers.
(2) Organic Chemistry: 
Modern concepts of covalent bonding. Electron displacements-Inductive mesomeric and hyper conjugative effects. Resonance and its applications to Organic Chemistry. Effects of structure on dissociation constants.
Alkanes, alkynes and alkenes. Petroleum as a source of organic compounds. Simple derivatives of aliphatic compounds. Alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, acids, halides, esters and ethers and anhydrides chlorides and amides. Mono-basic hydroxy, ketonic and amino acids-Organometallic compounds and acetoacetic esters. Tartaric citric, maleic and fumaric acids. Carbohydrates, classification and general reactions. Glucose, fructose and sucrose.
Stereochemistry: Optical and geometrical isomerism concept of conformation.
Benzene and its simple derivatives: Toluene, xylenes, phenols, halides, nitro and amino compounds. Benzoic, salicyclic, cinnamic, mandelic and sulphonic acids. Aromatic aldehydes and ketones. Diazo, azo and hydrazo compounds. Aromatic substitution. Naphthalene, pyridine and quinoline.
(3) Physical Chemistry: 
Kinetic theory of gases and gas laws, Maxwell's law of distribution of velocities. Van der Waal's equation. Law of corresponding states, Liquefaction of gases. Specific heats of gases. Ratio of Cp/Cv.
Thermodynamics: The first law of thermodynamics. Isothermal and adiabatic expansion. Enthalpy, Heat capacities. Thermo chemistry-heats of reaction, formation solution and combustion. Calculation of bond energies. Kirchhoff equation.
Criteria for spontaneous changes. Second law of Thermodynamics. Entropy. Free Energy. Criteria of Chemical equilibrium.
Solution, Osmotic pressure, lowering of vapour pressure, depression of freezing point, elevation of boiling point. Determination of molecular weights in solution. Association, dissociation of solutes.
Chemical equilibrium, Law of mass action and its applications to homogeneous and heterogeneous equilibrium. Le Chatelier's principle. Influence of temperature on chemical equilibrium.
Electrochemistry: Faraday's laws of electrolysis, conductivity of an electrolyte: equivalent conductivity and its variation with dilution; solubility of sparingly soluble salts, electrolytic dissociation. Ostwald's dilution law; anomaly of strong electrolytes; solubility product, strength of acids and bases; hydrolysis of salts; hydrogen ion concentration buffer action; theory of indicators.
Reversible cells. Standard hydrogen and calomel electrodes and red-ox-potentials. Concentration cells. Determination of pH. Transport number, Ionic product of water. Potentiometric titrations.
Chemical Kinetics: Molecularity and order of a reaction. First order and second order reactions. Determination of order of a reaction, temperature coefficients and energy of activation. Collision theory of reaction rates. Activated complex theory.
Phase rule: Explanation of the terms involved. Applications to one and two component system. Distribution law. 
Colloids: general nature of colloidal solutions and their classification; general methods of preparation and properties of Colloids. Coagulation, protective action, gold number. Absorption. 
Catalysis: Homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysis. Promoters. Poisoning.
Photochemistry: Laws of Photochemistry. Simple numerical problems.
Civil Engineering
(1) Building material and properties and strength of materials: 
Building materials-Timber, stone, brick, lime, tile, sand, surkhi, mortar and concrete, metal and glass-Structural properties of metals and alloys used in engineering practice.
Stress and strains-Hook's law-Bending Torsion and direct stresses. Elastic theory of bending of beams, maximum and minimum stresses due to eccentric loading. Bending moment and Shear force. diagrams and deflection of beams under static and live loads.
(2) Building construction and water supply and sanitary Engineering: 
Construction-Brick and stone, masonry, walls, floors and roofs, staircases, carpentry in wooden floors, roofs, ceiling, doors and windows, finishes (plastering, pointing, painting and varnishing, etc.)
Soil mechanics-Soils and their investigations, bearing capacities and foundations of buildings and structures principles of design.
Building estimates-Principal units of measurement: Taking out quantities for buildings and preparation of abstract of costs-specifications and Data sheets for important items.
Water supply-Sources of water, standards of purity, Methods of purification, layout of distribution system, pumps and boosters.
Sanitation-Sewers, storm water overflows, house drainage requirements and appurtenances, septic tanks. Imhoff tanks, sewage treatment and dispersion trenches-Activated sludge process.
(3) Roads and bridges:
Survey and alignment-Highway materials and their placements. Principles of design-width of foundation and pavement. camber gradient curves and super-elevation-retaining walls.
Construction-Earth roads, stabilized and water-bound macadam roads, bituminous surfaces and concrete roads, draining of roads. Bridges-Types, economical spans IRC loadings, designing super-structure of small span bridge Principles of designing, foundation of abutments and piers of bridges, pile and well foundations. Estimating earthwork for roads and canals.
(4) Structural Engineering: 
Steel structures-Permissible stresses, Design of beams, simple and built-up columns and simple roof trusses and girders, column bases and grillages for axially and eccentrically loaded columns-Bolted rivets and welded connections.
R.C.C. structures-Specification of materials used proportioning workability and strength requirement-I.S.I. standards for design loads, permissible stresses in R.C.C. members subject to direct and bending stress-Design of simply supported overhanging and cantilever beams, rectangular and Tee beams in floors, roofs and lintels-axially loaded columns-their bases.
Geology
(1) General Geology: 
Origin, age and interior of the Earth, different geological agencies and their effects on topography, weathering and erosion; Soil types, their classification and soil groups of India; Physio-graphic sub-divisions of India. Vegetation and topography; Volcanoes, earthquakes, mountains, diastrophism.
(2) Structural Geology: 
Common structure of igneous. sedimentary and metamorphic rocks. Dip, strike and slopes; folds, faults and unconformities, including their effects on outcrops. Elementary ideas of methods of Geological Surveying and Mapping.
(3) Crystallography and Mineralogy: 
Elementary knowledge of crystal symmetry. Law of crystallography. Crystal habits and twinning.
Study of important rock-forming, including clay minerals with regard to their chemical composition, physical properties, optical properties, alteration, occurrence and commercial uses.
(4) Economic Geology: 
Study of important economic minerals of India including mode of occurrence. Origin and classification of ore deposits.
(5) Petrology: 
Elementary study of igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic rocks, including origin and classification. Study of common rock types.
(6) Stratigraphy: 
Principles of stratigraphy; lithological and chronological sub-division of geological records. Outstanding features of Indian Stratigraphy.
(7) Paleontology: 
The bearing of palaentological data upon evolution. Fossils, their nature and mode of preservation. An elementary idea of the morphology and distribution of representative forms of animal and plant fossils
Agricultural Engineering
(1) Soil and Water Conservation: 
Definition and scope of soil conservation; Mechanics and types of erosion, their causes; Hydrologic cycle, rainfall and runoff-factors affecting them and their measurements, stream gauging-Evaluation of runoff from rainfall. Erosion control measures-Biological and Engineering.
Basic open channel hydraulics, Design of soil conservation, structures-terraces, bunds, outlets and grassed waterways. Principles of flood control. Flood routing. Design of farm ponds and earth dams. Stream bank erosion and its control. Wind erosion and its control. Principles of watershed management.
Investigation and Planning in River Valley Projects.
(2) Irrigation and Drainage: 
Soil-water-plant relationships. Sources and types of irrigation. Planning and design of minor, irrigation projects. Techniques of measuring soil moisture.
Duty of water-consumptive use. Water requirements of crops. Measurements and cost of irrigation water. Measuring devices-flow through orifices, weirs and flumes. Leveling and layout of irrigation systems. Design and construction of canals, field channels, pipelines, head-gates, diversion boxes structures and road crossing. Occurrence of ground water. Hydraulics of wells. Types of wells, their construction, drilling methods. Well development. Testing of wells.
Drainage-Definition-causes of water logging. Methods of drainage. Drainage of irrigated lands. Design of surface and sub-surface systems.
(3) Building Materials: 
Kinds of building materials-their properties, Timber, brickwork and R.C. construction, design of columns, beams, roof trusses, joints. Layout of a farm stead. Design of farm houses, animal shelters and storage structures. Rural water supply and sanitation.
(4) Farm power and Machinery: 
Construction of different types of internal combustion engines. ignition, fuel lubricating, cooling and governing systems of IC engines. Different types of tractors. Chassis transmission and steering. Farm machinery for primary and secondary tillage, seeding machinery, interculture tools and machinery. Plant protection equipment. Harvesting and threshing equipment. Machinery for land development. Pumps and pumping machinery.
(5) Electricity and rural Electrification: 
Power generation and transmission. Distribution of electricity for rural electrification: A.C. and D.C. circuits.
Uses of electric energy on the farm. Electric motors used in agriculture-types, selection, installation and maintenance. 
Chemical Engineering
(1) Transport phenomena: (Under steady state conditions): 
(a) Momentum transfer 
(i) Different patterns of flow and their criteria. (ii) Velocity profile.
(iii) Filtration: sedimentation; centrifuge. (iv) Flow of solids through fluids.
(b) Heat transfer: 
Different modes of heat transfer; Conduction-calculation for single and composite walls of flat, cylindrical and spherical shapes.
Convection-different dimensionless groups used in force and free convection. Equivalent diameter. Determination of individual and overall heat transfer coeff.
Evaporation-Radiation-Stefan Boltzmann-law. 
Emissivity and absorptivity. Geometrical shape factor. Heat load of furnaces-calculation.
(c) Mass transfer: 
Diffusion in gases and liquids. Absorption, desorption, humidification, dehumidification, drying and distillation. Analogy between momentum, heat and mass and transfer. 
(2) Thermodynamics:
(a) lst, 2nd and 3rd laws of thermodynamics.
(b) Determination of internal energy, entropy, enthalpy and free energy-Determination of chemical equilibrium constants for homogeneous and heterogeneous systems. Use of thermodynamics in combustion, distillation and heat transfer. Mechanism and theory of mixing various mixers for liquid-liquid, solid-liquid and solid-solid.
(3) Reaction Engineering:
(i) Kinetics: Homogeneous and heterogeneous reactions. 1st and 2nd order reactions.
Batch and flows-Reactors and their design.
(ii) Catalysis-Choice of catalyses.
Preparation: Mechanics of catalysis based upon mechanism. 
(4) Transportation: 
Storage and transport of materials and in particular powders, resins, volatile and non-volatile liquids, emulsions and dispersions, pumps, compressors and blowers. Mixers-Mechanisms and theory of mixing various mixers for liquid-liquid, solid-liquid, solid-solid.