The State Forest Department has announced a new recruitment notification for the posts of Forest Watcher for the year 2026. Applications have been invited for a total of 750 posts, and this is a golden opportunity for the youth of the state to get a government job.
This recruitment involves a direct selection process based on SSLC marks, without any written test.
Educational Qualification:
Candidates must have passed the SSLC examination conducted by the Karnataka Secondary Education Examination Board or passed the 10th class examination conducted by ICSE, CBSE, NIOS. Candidates who have written the examination and are awaiting the results on the last date for submission of applications are not eligible.
Selection Process:
The selection process mainly consists of three stages.
SSLC Merit Based Shortlist: Candidates will be shortlisted for Physical Standard Test (PST) in the ratio of 1:20 based on the marks obtained in the SSLC examination.
Physical and Medical Tests: Shortlisted candidates will be subjected to Physical Standard Test (PST), Physical Endurance Test (PET) and Medical Tests.
Final Selection: Based on the SSLC marks of the candidates who qualify in the physical and medical tests, a final merit list will be prepared and appointment orders will be issued. Verification of original documents will be the final step.
Physical Criteria:
Male candidates: Minimum height 163 cm. Chest circumference 79 cm. (in normal condition) and at least 5 cm. Induration should be. For tribal men, minimum height 152 cm. and chest circumference 74 cm. and 5 cm. Induration is mandatory.
Female candidates: Minimum height 150 cm. and minimum weight 40 kg. For tribal women, minimum height 145 cm. and minimum weight 38 kg. is mandatory.
Medical Criteria:
Candidates should have visual acuity (6/6 or 6/9), hearing test, and should not have any physical defects like bowed knees, bowed legs, flat feet, nerve swelling, difficulty in speaking or hearing.
Details of vacancies (Circle wise):
There are a total of 750 vacancies, out of which 700 are for Non-Hyderabad Karnataka and 50 are for Hyderabad Karnataka cadre. The district/circle wise vacancies are as follows: Bangalore (70 – Bangalore Urban, Rural, Ramanagara, Kolar, Chikkaballapur, Bannerghatta), Bellary (46), Chamarajanagar (169 – Bandipur, Male Mahadeshwar, BRT Tiger Reserve), Chikkamagaluru (56), Dharwad (12), Hassan (30), Canara (60 – Karwar, Haliyal, Yellapur, Sirsi, Honnavar, Dandeli), Kodagu (32), Kalaburgi (4), Mangalore (54), Mysore (170), Shivamogga (38).
Application Submission Dates:
The application submission process will start from August 1 and end on August 31. Interested candidates can apply online by visiting the official website of Karnataka Forest Department https://aranya.gov.in/ and get updates on recruitment from time to time.