Executive Summary:
This document responds to Lok Sabha Starred Question No. 204 regarding vacancies in the Indian Forest Service (IFS) cadre in Maharashtra. It details the sanctioned posts, current vacancies, and actions taken to fill these positions as of August 4, 2025. The statement confirms that no IFS officers are currently awaiting posting in Maharashtra.
Key Points / Main Content:
* **Sanctioned vs. Vacant Posts:**
* The sanctioned cadre strength for IFS officers in Maharashtra is 206, including reserves and promotion posts.
* There are 126 sanctioned cadre posts, with 112 positions filled and 14 vacancies.
* **Vacant Post Details:**
* Annexure I lists the 14 vacant posts, including titles such as APCCF Wildlife, East Nagpur (vacant since 19072023) and DCF Working Plan, Chandrapur (vacant since 17072025).
* **Filling Vacancies:**
* Vacant posts are assigned to other officers in addition to their existing duties.
* Direct recruitment vacancies are filled through the UPSC based on the Indian Forest Service Examination.
* Promotion quota vacancies are filled with the concurrence of the UPSC.
* Five IFS Officers of the 2023 batch of Maharashtra cadre have been relieved to join the State during August 2025, upon completion of training.
* **Officer Posting:**
* No IFS officers are currently awaiting posting in Maharashtra.
Impact Analysis:
* **Government of Maharashtra:**
* Impact: Required to manage forest administration and conservation efforts with existing staff covering vacant positions. Expected to cooperate with UPSC for filling the vacant posts.
* Action Required: Continue assigning additional duties to current officers, work with UPSC to fill vacancies, and integrate newly trained IFS officers into available positions.
* **Union Public Service Commission (UPSC):**
* Impact: Responsible for conducting examinations and making recommendations for filling direct recruitment and promotion quota vacancies.
* Action Required: Continue conducting the Indian Forest Service Examination annually and provide recommendations for suitable candidates. Concur with the promotion quota for induction of State Forest Service officers into Indian Forest Service.
* **Indian Forest Service Officers:**
* Impact: Existing officers may experience increased workloads due to vacant positions being covered by existing staff. Newly trained officers will be integrated into the Maharashtra cadre.
* Action Required: Existing officers must manage additional responsibilities as assigned. Newly posted officers must assume their assigned duties upon joining the Maharashtra cadre in August 2025.
Key Entities Referenced
Indian Forest Service: A civil service of the Government of India, members of which are referred to as IFS officers, responsible for the management of forests.
Maharashtra: A state in India, where the IFS cadre posts are vacant according to the policy document.
Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change: The Indian government ministry responsible for environmental protection and forestry.
Lok Sabha: The lower house of the Parliament of India, where the starred question was addressed.
Union Public Service Commission: The central recruiting agency of the Government of India responsible for conducting examinations for appointments to the civil services, including the Indian Forest Service.
Nagpur, Maharashtra: A city in Maharashtra where multiple vacant posts are located (APCCF Wildlife, APCCF Personnel, APCCF Information, Technology and Policy, APCCF Budget, Planning and Development, Managing Director, Maharashtra State Ecotourism Development Board, CCF Land records, CCF FD, Pench Tiger Reserve)
Chandrapur, Maharashtra: A city in Maharashtra where the APCCF Research, Education and Training and Director position, and DCF Working Plan position is vacant.
Pune, Maharashtra: A city in Maharashtra where CCF Working Plan, West Pune position is vacant.
OIH
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE
LOK SABHA
STARRED QUESTION NO. 204
TO BE ANSWERED ON 04.08.2025
Vacancies of IFS in Maharashtra
204*. SMT. DHANORKAR PRATIBHA SURESH
Will the Minister of ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE be pleased to
state:
(a) the number of sanctioned and vacant Indian Forest Service (IFS) cadre posts in the
Forest Department of Maharashtra;
(b) the time since when the said posts are lying vacant and the steps taken by the
Government to fill these posts;
(c) the number of IFS officers currently awaiting posting in Maharashtra and the reasons
for delay in their posting;
(d) the impact of non-posting of such officers on the forest administration and conservation
efforts in the State; and
(e) the action taken by the Government in this regard?
ANSWER
MINISTER FOR ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE
(SHRI BHUPENDER YADAV)
(a) to (e): A statement is laid on the Table of the House.
***Statement referred to in reply to parts (a) to (e) in respect of Lok Sabha
Starred Question No. 204 to be answered on 04.08.2025 regarding ‘Vacancies
of IFS in Maharashtra’ asked by Smt. Dhanorkar Pratibha Suresh.
(a) The total number of sanctioned cadre strength of Indian Forest Service (IFS) officers in
the State of Maharashtra is 206, which includes central deputation reserve, state deputation
reserve, leave reserve, promotion posts etc. Out of these, the details regarding the number of
sanctioned cadre post and the vacancies in the cadre posts of IFS officers in the State of
Maharashtra are detailed below:-
Sanctioned cadre posts Persons in position against Vacancy in the cadre posts
cadre posts
126 112 14
(b) The details regarding the 14 vacant posts are placed at Annexure-I. As per the information
received from the State Government of Maharashtra, the vacant posts have been assigned to
other officers in addition to their existing duties. The vacancies against direct recruitment quota
are filled up through the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) on the basis of the Indian
Forest Service Examination conducted, each year. Similarly, the vacancies against the
promotion quota for induction of State Forest Service officers into Indian Forest Service are
also undertaken with concurrence of Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). Further, five
IFS Officers of 2023 batch of Maharashtra cadre have been relieved to join the State during
August 2025, upon completion of training at the Indira Gandhi National Forest Academy
(IGNFA), Dehradun.
(c) to (e) As per information received from the Government of Maharashtra, presently, no IFS
officers are awaiting posting in the State of Maharashtra.
******Annexure-I
Annexure referred to part (b) of the Lok Sabha Starred Question
No.204 due for answer on 04.08.2025 asked by Smt. Dhanorkar
Pratibha Suresh regarding ‘Vacancies of IFS in Maharashtra’
Details of the vacant cadre posts of IFS officers in the State of
Maharashtra
Sl Name of the Post Vacant
since
1 APCCF (Wildlife), East Nagpur 19-07-2023
2 APCCF (Personnel), Nagpur 13-03-2024
3 APCCF (Information, Technology and Policy), 28-06-2023
Nagpur
4 APCCF (Budget, Planning and Development), Nagpur 21-07-2025
5 APCCF (Research, Education and Training) and 18-07-2025
Director, Chandrapur
6 Managing Director, Maharashtra State Eco-tourism 01-12-2018
Development Board, Nagpur
(CCF)
7 Managing Director, Maharashtra Bamboo 23-03-2024
8 CCF (Working Plan), West Pune 01-05-2024
9 CCF (Territorial), Kolhapur 26-06-2025
10 CCF (Land records), Nagpur 12-02-2025
11 CCF & FD, Pench Tiger Reserve, Nagpur 17-07-2025
12 CF (Working Plan), Nashik 03-07-2023
13 DCF (Working Plan), Yavatmal 19-04-2024
14 DCF (Working Plan), Chandrapur 17-07-2025