Indian Forest Service
(IFS or IfoS) comes under the ambit of All India Services (AIS). There are two
more well-known and reputed All India Services namely The Indian Administrative
Services (IAS) and The Indian Police Services (IPS). Being an AIS, the forest
service officers are appointed by the President of India through an annual All
India Examination conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). IAS
and IPS are appointed through a common Civil Services Examination of the UPSC
along with various Central Services like Indian Foreign Service and Indian
Revenue Service, among others. However, IFoS are recruited through a separate
exam – the Indian Forest Service Examination.
The predecessor of
IFoS is Imperial Forest Service which was constituted by the
British Government during colonial era in 1867. Later the Constitution of India
reorganized it into an All India Services and renamed it. Being mentioned in
the Constitution, this service comes with amazing power, responsibility and
reputation. Recently, the debate about climate change and the needs to protect
forest, biodiversity, etc. have given it more responsibility. Officers are
expected to protect the environment, regulate mines and forest activities in
the protected areas and look after the needs of forest dwellers.
Salary
of Indian Forest Service Officers
The current emoluments
and other perks of IFoS officers are in accordance with the recommendations of
the sixth pay commission. Following is the salary structure of officers
1. Junior Time Scale:
15,600
– 39,100 with Grade Pay of 5,400
Officers join the
service on Junior Time Scale. They remained in this scale for around two years.
The take home salary at this level comes out to be around Rs. 51,000.
2. Senior Time Scale:
15,600
– 39,100 with Grade Pay of Rs. 6,600
IFoS officers get
first promotion with this scale. Note, their designation may not change at this
level. They are now supposed to be well acquainted with the basic functioning
of the forest department. The basic pay scale, as can be seen above, also
remained the same. Only Grade Pay gets a hike and subsequently the officers
didn’t notice much change in take home salary.
3. Junior Administrative
Grade
15,600
– 39,100 with Grade Pay of Rs. 7,600
At this level officers
started to get real job. They are also expected to perform some secretarial
position at this level.
4. Deputy Conservator
of Forest (Selection Grade)
37,400
– 67,000 with Grade Pay of Rs. 8,700
When officers become
the Deputy Conservator of Forest, he is entitled to look after a forest and all
related activities including managing various centrally sponsored schemes. This
level gives lots of power and prestige to an officer.
5. Conservator of
Forests
37,400
– 67,000 with Grade Pay of Rs. 8,900
6. Chief Conservator
of Forests
37,400
– 67,000 with Grade Pay of Rs. 10,000
It is one of the most
reputed field jobs related to environment in India. Chief Conservator is one of
the most powerful positions since the British days. Though only Grade pay gets
upward revision at this level.
7. Additional
Principal Chief Conservator of Forests
67,000
– 79,000
The Sixth Pay
Commission has recommended steep salary hike from this level. The take home
salary is really high and officers also gets large secretarial assistance at
this level.
8. Principal Chief
Conservator of Forests
75,000
– 80,000
It is the second
highest position in forestry and environment department in any state. Officers
are placed in the secretariat in the state capital.
9. Principal Chief
Conservator of Forests (Chief of Forestry Department of a state)
Fixed
Pay Scale: 80,000
The Sixth Pay
Commission, on the line of its recommendation for IAS officers, had fixed the
pay scale of the top most position of IFoS. The take home salary at this level
is much more than this fixed amount.
Comments
Post a Comment