The forest department has a separate recruitment drive and examination to target certain posts. They are also recruited through the popular UPSC examination in India. Unless your skill set matches well with a regional opening the chances for getting into the forest department are slim just based on a degree in data science .

Let us try to highlight the roles and responsibilities of an individual working in the forest department. The Indian Forest Service officers operate under the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF). Their duties include:

·         Protecting and preserving the rich heritage of forest reserves. This includes preventing illegal deforestation, poaching of animals, and other non-legal activities.

·         To implement National forest policy framed by MoEF. They must work under this framework to protect and preserve natural reserves.

·         Devise plans for legal commercial exploitation like timber, rubber, and other natural resources.

In a nutshell, IFoS officers are expected to protect the forest as well as wildlife. Apart from that, they are also expected to curb unlawful wood cutting. Upon selection to IFS, the officers will be given training for 1 year. After that, they will be posted as Assistant conservators of forests in a state.

The forest department also leverages data as an essential tool for problem-solving, but such specialized skill requirements are restricted to a rare few posts. It is recommended that one must develop other complementary skills as well before they intend to join the forest department.