UPSSSC Forest Guard Recruitment 2026 – Apply Online for 708 Van Rakshak & Wildlife Guard Posts

Uttar Pradesh Subordinate Services Selection Commission (UPSSSC) is a state-level recruitment body constituted by the Government of Uttar Pradesh, operating under the Department of Personnel, Lucknow. It is responsible for conducting examinations and selecting candidates for Group B and Group C posts across all departments of the Uttar Pradesh state government. Its official recruitment portal is upsssc.gov.in.

UPSSSC Forest Guard Recruitment 2026 (Advt. 12-Pariksha/2026) – Overview

UPSSSC Forest Guard (Van Rakshak) is among Uttar Pradesh's most sought-after state government recruitments, drawing lakhs of 12th-pass applicants each cycle due to its permanent status, outdoor job profile, and stable government salary. The 2026 edition — announced by the Uttar Pradesh Subordinate Services Selection Commission (UPSSSC) under Advertisement No. 12-Pariksha/2026 — opens 708 permanent posts of Van Rakshak (Forest Guard) and Vanya Jeev Rakshak (Wildlife Guard) in the Forest and Wildlife Department, Government of Uttar Pradesh. Online applications are accepted at upsssc.gov.in from 30 June 2026 to 20 July 2026. The minimum qualification is Intermediate (Class 12) pass from a recognised board, paired with a valid UPSSSC PET-2025 scorecard — without a PET-2025 score, no application can be submitted. Pay scale is ₹19,900 – ₹63,200 under Pay Level-2 of the 7th Pay Commission. A flat online processing charge of ₹25 applies to all candidates regardless of category.

The immediately preceding UPSSSC Forest Guard cycle (Advt. 10-Exam/2023) released 693 vacancies; the 2026 drive increases this to 708 posts — a modest net addition of 15 posts, with the broader category-wise distribution showing a notably enlarged SC allocation (218 posts, up from earlier cycles).

Source: Official notification Advt. No. 12-Pariksha/2026, Uttar Pradesh Subordinate Services Selection Commission (UPSSSC), released 23 April 2026 at upsssc.gov.in.

UPSSSC Forest Guard 2026 – Important Dates & Full Schedule

The application portal opens on 30 June 2026. Candidates have exactly 21 days to register and submit — notably shorter than most central government application windows. The fee payment deadline is the same as the form submission deadline (20 July 2026), so candidates must complete both in one session or return before that date. The correction window (27 July 2026) allows limited modifications to non-critical fields.

All dates as per Advt. No. 12-Pariksha/2026. Written exam date and admit card release will be notified separately on the UPSSSC official website.

UPSSSC Forest Guard 2026 – Vacancy Details (Post-wise & Category-wise)

The 708 vacancies are divided into two post types — Van Rakshak (Forest Guard, 647 posts) and Vanya Jeev Rakshak (Wildlife Guard, 61 posts) — each further split into General Selection and Special Selection sub-categories. Special Selection (380 total seats) is restricted to OBC and ST candidates only, giving those communities access to two separate applicant pools within this single recruitment.

UPSSSC Forest Guard 2026 – Category-wise Vacancy Breakdown

Category-wise and post-wise vacancy data as per Advt. No. 12-Pariksha/2026, UPSSSC, 23 April 2026. OBC candidates holding a valid Non-Creamy Layer (NCL) certificate only are eligible for OBC reservation.

UPSSSC Forest Guard 2026 – Application Fee (All Categories)

The application fee structure for UPSSSC Forest Guard 2026 is exceptionally uniform: a flat online processing charge of ₹25 applies to every candidate regardless of category, gender, or disability status. There is no category-based exemption — even SC, ST, PH, and female candidates must pay ₹25. This is not a traditional application fee but an online processing charge mandated by UPSSSC's unified portal system.

UPSSSC Forest Guard 2026 – Eligibility Criteria

Two mandatory filters apply before any other eligibility check: the candidate must be a domicile of Uttar Pradesh, and must have appeared in UPSSSC PET-2025 with a normalised score above zero. Candidates who did not appear in PET-2025, or who received a zero or negative PET score, cannot apply for UPSSSC Forest Guard 2026 under any circumstances.

Age Limit for UPSSSC Forest Guard 2026 (as on 01 July 2026)

Age relaxation for reserved categories is as per prevailing Government of Uttar Pradesh rules. Age is determined from the date of birth recorded in the Class 10 (High School) or equivalent certificate.

Educational Qualification for UPSSSC Forest Guard 2026

Two eligibility edge cases are worth noting before you apply. First: candidates who appeared in UPSSSC PET-2025 but have not yet received their official scorecard or whose score shows as zero must NOT apply — only candidates with a confirmed positive normalised PET-2025 score are eligible. Second: OBC candidates must carry a valid Non-Creamy Layer (NCL) certificate in the name of the candidate (not the parent) issued within the last three years; an outdated or parental NCL certificate will be rejected at Document Verification even if the written exam and physical tests were cleared.

UPSSSC Forest Guard 2026 – Physical Standard Test (Height & Chest)

The Physical Standard Test (PST) for UPSSSC Forest Guard 2026 measures minimum height and chest circumference. It is a qualifying stage — candidates who do not meet the minimum physical measurements are disqualified regardless of their written examination score. No grace or margin is provided at the PST stage. Chest measurement applies to male candidates only; female candidates are tested on height alone.

Physical standards as per Advt. No. 12-Pariksha/2026, UPSSSC. Chest measurement for male candidates refers to the unexpanded chest dimension; exact expansion requirement will be specified on the PST call letter.

UPSSSC Forest Guard 2026 – Pay Scale & Salary

At Pay Level-2 of the 7th Central Pay Commission Pay Matrix, the starting basic pay for a newly joined Van Rakshak is ₹19,900 per month. After adding Dearness Allowance (approximately 50% of basic for UP state government employees, revised periodically), House Rent Allowance (rate varies by district posting), and Transport Allowance, the gross monthly salary works out to approximately ₹32,000 – ₹35,000 in most postings. After deducting NPS contribution (10% of basic + DA), the estimated monthly in-hand take-home is approximately ₹28,000 – ₹31,500. These are estimates — actual figures depend on the specific posting district and prevailing DA rates at the time of joining. Forest Guards posted in remote forest beats may also receive a Field Posting Allowance as applicable under UP Forest Department rules.

UPSSSC Forest Guard 2026 – Selection Process

Selection follows a 5-stage funnel. Only the Main Written Exam carries marks for merit; every subsequent stage — PST, PET, Medical, DV — is qualifying only. The final appointment list is ranked purely on Main Written Exam score.

The 5-stage selection for UPSSSC Forest Guard 2026 is straightforward in structure but physically demanding in practice — candidates who excel in the written exam must equally prepare for a 25 km endurance walk (14 km for female candidates) that many find more challenging than the written test. The written exam itself uses only one scoring stage (no second CBT, no interview), so rank in the merit list is decided entirely by how well a candidate performs in those 100 MCQs over 120 minutes. Cut-off marks will vary by category and are released along with the result. If the exam is conducted across multiple shifts, normalisation is applied as per UPSSSC's official normalisation policy.

UPSSSC Forest Guard 2026 – Exam Syllabus & Paper Pattern

The Main Written Examination for UPSSSC Forest Guard 2026 is an offline OMR-based test of 100 objective-type questions (100 marks, 2 hours) with 1/4 negative marking per wrong answer. The question paper is divided into two parts, with Part 1 (Subject Knowledge — Forest and Wildlife) carrying the highest weight and directly determining competitive merit.

How to Fill UPSSSC Forest Guard 2026 Online Form – Step by Step

The application must be submitted at upsssc.gov.in using your UPSSSC PET-2025 registration number. PET-2025 data (name, date of birth, category, address) is auto-populated from UPSSSC's PET database — candidates should verify all pre-filled fields before submission, as corrections after the window closes require a formal application. The portal opens on 30 June 2026; do not wait until the last days.

1. Visit the official portal: Go to upsssc.gov.in from 30 June 2026. Navigate to the "Live Advertisement" section and click on Advertisement No. 12-Pariksha/2026.
2. Log in with PET-2025 credentials: Click the "Apply Now" link and log in using your PET-2025 Registration Number. Complete OTP verification on your registered mobile number. Without a valid PET-2025 login, the application form cannot be accessed.
3. Verify pre-filled personal data: Your name, date of birth, category, and address will be auto-filled from your PET-2025 record. Cross-check every auto-filled field against your original certificates — particularly your category and date of birth. Any mismatch detected at Document Verification will lead to disqualification.
4. Enter educational details & post preference: Fill in your Intermediate (Class 12) qualification details — board name, year of passing, roll number, and marks/percentage. Indicate your post preference (Van Rakshak or Vanya Jeev Rakshak) and selection type (General or Special Selection if eligible) as per the instructions.
5. Upload photograph and signature: Upload a recent passport-size photograph (clear, white background, as per UPSSSC specifications) and a scanned signature in black ink on white paper in cursive/joined handwriting. Block or capital-letter signatures are grounds for rejection during scrutiny.
6. Pay the ₹25 processing fee: Pay the online processing charge of ₹25 before 20 July 2026 (23:59 hrs) through Debit Card, Credit Card, Net Banking, UPI, or SBI e-Challan. The application is treated as incomplete without a successful fee transaction. Save the payment receipt.
7. Preview and verify before final submission: Use the "Preview" option to review every field in the application form — name, DOB, category, qualification, post preference, photo, and signature. Errors in category or post preference cannot be corrected after submission except through the correction window (up to 27 July 2026).
8. Submit and save the confirmation: Click "Final Submit," then download and print the application confirmation PDF. Keep it safe for all future stages — it will be required at the written exam, PST/PET, and Document Verification.

UPSSSC Forest Guard 2026 Admit Card – How to Download

The UPSSSC Forest Guard 2026 Main Written Exam Admit Card (hall ticket) has not been released yet. It will be available for download on upsssc.gov.in before the written examination — no admit card will be sent by post. Candidates should keep their UPSSSC PET-2025 registration number and date of birth ready to download the hall ticket when released.

1. Visit the official portal: Go to upsssc.gov.in when the admit card download link for Advt. No. 12-Pariksha/2026 (Forest Guard 2026) is activated on the homepage.
2. Log in with registration details: Enter your PET-2025 Registration Number and date of birth (or other credentials as prompted) to access the admit card.
3. Download and print: Save the admit card PDF and print at least two copies on A4 white paper. Carry the printed copy to the exam centre along with a valid photo ID.

UPSSSC Forest Guard 2026 – Official Links & Notification PDF

UPSSSC Forest Guard 2026 – Frequently Asked Questions