India, March 8 -- As the successor to the Imperial Forest Service that was created in 1865, the Indian Forest Service (IFS) became a central service in 1966. The semi-uniformed forest department was primarily oriented towards living and working in remote locations, and women entered the service only in 1980, with the induction of three officers. It required only minor amendments (a relaxation on physical criteria). There has been no turning back since; the strength of women in the IFS has grown from a mere handful to over 350 serving officers today....