GPSC ACF & RFO Recruitment 2026 — 26 Vacancies

About This Job

The Gujarat Public Service Commission (GPSC) has released Advt. No. 03/2026-27 for the recruitment of 26 posts of Assistant Conservator of Forest (ACF) Class-2 and Range Forest Officer (RFO) Class-2. These are permanent, gazetted positions under the Forest and Environment Department, Government of Gujarat. The salary ranges from Rs. 39,900 to Rs. 1,67,800 per month depending on the post. The last date to apply is 15 April 2026.

GPSC ACF & RFO Recruitment 2026 — 26 Posts

Gujarat Public Service Commission (GPSC), the premier recruitment body for Class-1 and Class-2 government posts in Gujarat, is hiring for its Forest Service cadre. This recruitment covers 1 ACF post and 25 RFO posts across various categories. If you have a Bachelor's degree in Science with subjects like Botany, Forestry, Agriculture, or Engineering, this is your chance to join the Gujarat Forest Department as a gazetted officer.

Vacancy Breakdown

Here is the post-wise and category-wise vacancy breakdown:

Women reservation (RFO): Out of the above RFO posts, the following are reserved for women — Gen: 4, EWS: 1, SEBC: 2, SC: 1, ST: 1.

Who Can Apply?

Educational Qualification

• You need a Bachelor's degree from a recognized university in one of these subjects as your principal subject: Botany, Chemistry, Geology, Mathematics, Physics, Statistics, Zoology, Microbiology, Biotechnology, Bio-chemistry, Environmental Science, Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Science, Agriculture, Forestry, Horticulture, or Engineering/Technology.
• If you hold a B.Sc. in Agriculture, Horticulture, or Forestry, it must be from a recognized Agriculture/Horticulture University.
• Bonus: Candidates with a B.Sc. in Forestry as their principal subject get an additional 10% of total marks in the main written exam and interview.

Other Requirements

• You must have basic knowledge of Computer Application as prescribed in Gujarat Civil Services Rules 1967.
• You need adequate knowledge of Gujarati or Hindi (or both).
• You must be an Indian citizen.

Age Limit

• Minimum age: 20 years
• Maximum age: 35 years
• Age will be calculated as on 15 April 2026 (last date of application).

Age Relaxation

• EWS/SEBC/SC/ST Male (Gujarat origin): 5 years relaxation (max age 40 years)
• Reserved Category Female (Gujarat origin): 10 years relaxation (includes 5 years as female; max age 45 years)
• Unreserved Female: 5 years relaxation (max age 40 years but not exceeding 45 years)
• Ex-Servicemen/ECOs/SCOs: Length of military service + 3 years (min 5 years service)
• Persons with Disability: 10 years relaxation (max age 45 years)
• Government Employees: No exclusive age relaxation available

Salary

• ACF Class-2: Pay Level 9 — Rs. 53,100 to Rs. 1,67,800 per month + other allowances (7th Pay Commission)
• RFO Class-2: Pay Level 7 — Rs. 39,900 to Rs. 1,26,600 per month + other allowances (7th Pay Commission)

Both posts carry additional Dearness Allowance (DA), House Rent Allowance (HRA), and other admissible allowances as per Gujarat government rules.

Physical Standards

For Male Candidates

• Height: Minimum 163 cm
• Chest: Minimum 79 cm (unexpanded) — 84 cm (expanded)
• Chest expansion: Minimum 5 cm
• Weight: Minimum 50 kg

For Female Candidates

• Height: Minimum 150 cm
• Chest: Minimum 81 cm
• Weight: Minimum 50 kg

Walking Test

• Male: Walk 25 km in 4 hours
• Female: Walk 14 km in 4 hours

If you fail the Walking Test, you will not be called for the interview stage.

Application Fee

• Unreserved / General candidates: Rs. 100 + postal charges (total approximately Rs. 100 + bank/postal charges)
• Unreserved Female candidates: Rs. 100 + service charges
• Reserved categories (SC/ST/SEBC/EWS) of Gujarat origin, PwD, Ex-Servicemen: No fee (exempted)

Fee can be paid through Net Banking, Card Payment, or using the "Print Challan" option on GPSC-OJAS portal. Last date for online fee payment is 15 April 2026.

Selection Process

The selection will be done in 4 stages:

1. Preliminary Examination (Objective MCQ): This is a screening test with 2 papers.
   • Paper-1: General Studies-I — 200 marks, 3 hours
   • Paper-2: General Studies-II — 200 marks, 3 hours
   • Both papers are MCQ type with standard level difficulty
   • Paper-1 and Paper-2 will be in Gujarati and English
   • The Preliminary Exam is only for screening — marks won't count in final merit
2. Main Examination (Written Descriptive Test): This is the main written exam with 5 papers.
   • Paper-1: Gujarati Language — 150 marks, 3 hours
   • Paper-2: English Language — 150 marks, 3 hours
   • Paper-3: General Studies-I — 150 marks, 3 hours
   • Paper-4: General Studies-II — 150 marks, 3 hours
   • Paper-5: General Studies-III — 150 marks, 3 hours
   • Total: 750 marks
3. Interview: 100 marks
4. Physical Standards & Walking Test: You must meet the prescribed physical standards and pass the walking test

Note: Candidates who score a minimum of 5 marks out of 05 papers (total 15 marks) in the Preliminary exam will be eligible for the Main exam. The final merit will be prepared based on Main Exam + Interview marks.

How to Apply

1. Go to the official GPSC-OJAS portal: gpsc-ojas.gujarat.gov.in
2. If you are a new user, complete One Time Registration (OTR) first
3. Click on "Online Application" in the Menu Bar, then click "Apply"
4. Select the advertisement and fill in your Personal Details, Communication Details, Other Details, Language Details
5. Upload your photograph (recent, white background, max 0.5 cm to 3.5 x 3.6 cm) and signature (both in JPG format, max 10 KB)
6. Fill your Education Details and Experience Details
7. Complete the Assurance/Self-Declaration and click Save
8. Pay the fee using Net Banking or Card Payment or through Print Challan option
9. After payment, take a printout of your application for future reference

Important: After submitting, if you find any error, you can edit your application through the "Edit" option on GPSC-OJAS during the application period. After the deadline, no changes are possible.

Important Dates

• Notification Date: 01 April 2026
• Application Start Date: 01 April 2026 (1:00 PM)
• Application End Date: 15 April 2026 (11:59 PM)
• Last Date for Fee Payment: 15 April 2026
• Preliminary Exam (Paper-1): 07 June 2026
• Preliminary Exam (Paper-2): 27 June 2026
• Main Exam: 13 December 2026 to 16 December 2026

• Handle forest conservation activities, wildlife protection, and biodiversity management in your assigned range or division
• Monitor and prevent illegal activities like poaching, encroachment, and unauthorized timber felling in forest areas
• Prepare and implement working plans for sustainable forest management and afforestation programs
• Manage forest staff, coordinate patrolling activities, and maintain law and order in forest regions
• Work on community engagement programs with tribal and local populations living near forest areas
• Keep records of forest produce, wildlife census data, and submit periodic reports to higher authorities
• Assist in fighting forest fires, managing natural disasters, and implementing disaster response plans
• Follow all rules under the Indian Forest Act, Wildlife Protection Act, and Gujarat Forest Manual