| Service overview | |
_(8).png) | |
| Abbreviation | IFS |
|---|---|
| Date of establishment | 9 October 1946; 79 years ago (9 October 1946) |
| Headquarters | South Block,New Delhi |
| Country |  India |
| Staff college | Sushma Swaraj Institute of Foreign Service,New Delhi |
| Field of operation |  Diplomatic missions of India |
| Cadre controlling authority | Ministry of External Affairs |
| Minister responsible | S. Jaishankar,Minister of External Affairs |
| Legal personality | Governmental:Civil service |
| Preceding service | Indian Civil Service |
| Cadre strength | 3,556 members (2025)[1] (Group A - 1177; Group B - 2379)[1] |
| Service Chief | |
| Foreign Secretary | Vikram Misri, IFS |
TheIndian Foreign Service (IFS) is adiplomatic service and acentral civil service of theGovernment of the Republic of India under theMinistry of External Affairs.[2] TheForeign Secretary is the head of the service.Vikram Misri is the 35th and the current Foreign Secretary.
The service, consisting ofcivil servants is entrusted with handling theforeign relations of India and providingconsular services, and to mark India's presence in international organizations.[3] It is the body of careerdiplomats serving in more than 160Indian diplomatic missions and international organizations around the world. In addition, they serve at thePresident's Secretariat, thePrime Minister's Office and at the headquarters of MEA in New Delhi.[4] They also head Regional Passport Offices throughout the country and hold positions in several ministries on deputation.
Indian Foreign Service officers have been 8 timesPresidents of the UN Security Council[a], severalUnder-Secretary-General of the United Nations[b], 3National Security Advisors[c], and have been elected to offices ofPresident,Vice President,Governors of States,Speaker of Lok Sabha, andCabinet ministers.
On 13 September 1783, theboard of directors of theEast India Company passed aresolution atFort William,Calcutta (nowKolkata), to create a department, which could help "relieve the pressure" on theWarren Hastings administration in conducting its "secret and political business."[3] Although established by the Company, theIndian Foreign Department conducted business with foreignEuropean powers.[3] From the very beginning, a distinction was maintained between theforeign andpolitical functions of the Foreign Department; relations with all "Asiatic powers" (including nativeprincely states) were treated aspolitical, while relations with European powers were treated asforeign.[5]
In 1843, theGovernor-General of India,Edward Law, 1st Earl of Ellenborough carried out administrative reforms, organizing the Secretariat of the Government into four departments: Foreign, Home, Finance, and Military. Each was headed by a secretary-level officer. The Foreign Department Secretary was entrusted with the "conduct of all correspondence belonging to the external and internal diplomatic relations of the government."[3]
TheGovernment of India Act 1935 attempted to delineate more clearly functions of the foreign and political wings of the Foreign Department, it was soon realized that it was administratively imperative to completely bifurcate the department. Consequently, theExternal Affairs Department was set up separately under the direct charge of the Governor-General.
The idea of establishing a separate diplomatic service to handle the external activities of the Government of India originated from a note dated 30 September 1944, recorded byLieutenant-General T. J. Hutton, the Secretary of the Planning and Development Department.[3] When this note was referred to the Department of External Affairs for comments,Olaf Caroe, the Foreign Secretary, recorded his comments in an exhaustive note detailing the scope, composition and functions of the proposed service. Caroe pointed out that as India emerged as autonomous, it was imperative to build up a system of representation abroad that would be in complete harmony with the objectives of the future government.[3]
On 9 October 1946, the Indian government established theIndian Foreign Service for India'sdiplomatic,consular and commercial representation overseas. With independence, there was a near-complete transition of the Foreign and Political Department into what then became the newMinistry of External Affairs.
Indian Foreign Service Day is celebrated on 9 October every year since 2011 to honor the establishment of the Indian Foreign Service, the idea of which was proposed by diplomatAbhay K.[6][7]
The officers of the Indian Foreign Service are recruited throughCivil Services Examination byUnion Public Service Commission for Group A and also throughStaff Selection Commission for Group B.
In 1948, the first group of Indian Foreign Service officers were recruited based on theCivil Services Examination conducted by the Union Public Service Commission[8] This exam is still used to select new foreign service officers.[9] Previous to 1948, some were appointed directly by the Prime Minister and included former native rulers of India who had integrated their provinces into India.
Fresh recruits to the Indian Foreign Service are trained atSushma Swaraj Foreign Service Institute after a brief foundation course at theLal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration,Mussoorie.[10] In recent years, the number of candidates selected to the Indian Foreign Service has averaged between 25 and 30 annually.[9]
On acceptance into the Foreign Service, new entrants undergo rigorous training, considered one of the most challenging and longest among Government of India services, typically lasting over one year. During the probationary period, these entrants are referred to as Officer Trainees. Training begins at theLBSNAA inMussoorie, where members of other elite Indian civil services undergo a three-month Foundation Course, usually commencing in August each year.[3]
Following the Foundation Course, probationers proceed to theSSIFS inNew Delhi for intensive instruction in subjects essential todiplomacy, includinginternational relations theory,military diplomacy, trade,India's foreign policy,history,international law, diplomatic practice, hospitality, protocol, and administration. After a brief desk attachment in theMinistry of External Affairs at the rank of Assistant Secretary, officers are posted to anIndian diplomatic mission abroad where their CFL is the native language.
Officer Trainees also undertakeArmed Forces Attachments, each lasting at least one week, with various government bodies and defense establishments—such as theIndian Army (either inJammu and Kashmir, orLadakh, orSikkim, orArunachal Pradesh),Indian Navy (either inMumbai orVisakhapatnam),Indian Air Force stations, orCAPF units.
In the middle phase of the program, participants are nominated for aState Attachment with a group of 5–7 officers in any state of India, for a duration of one week, to receive hands-on training in administrative functions. Additionally, participants are nominated for aMission Attachment abroad, for one week, in an Indian Mission, to gain foundational exposure to the functioning of an embassy.
Additionally, they engage in 2–3 weekBharat Darshan tours, covering significant regions ofIndia, includingKolkata,Darjeeling,Northeast India,Andaman and Nicobar Islands,Chennai,Thiruvananthapuram,Bangalore,Hyderabad,Puri,Mumbai,Rajasthan,Amritsar,Shimla,Kashmir andLadakh.
The entire training program spans approximately 10-11 months and concludes with calls on VVIPs (President,Vice President,Prime Minister,External Affairs Minister and theForeign Secretary) in the last week of the programme.[3]
Upon completion of the training program, officers are assigned a compulsory foreign language (CFL) based on their rank in the UPSC CSE exam. Priority is given toUN languages, includingRussian,French,Chinese,Spanish, andArabic, as well as other languages such asGerman,Japanese,Hebrew,Persian, among others detailed below. UN languages, along with German and Japanese, are available every year, while other languages may be allocated depending on vacancies or typically after 2–3 years. There, they undergo language training and are expected to achieve proficiency, culminating in an examination conducted by theMinistry of Defence.[11]
Successful completion of the language examination confirms the officer in service and leads to promotion to the rank ofSecond Secretary at the respective Indian embassy in the CFL country. Subsequent promotions and postings are generally based on performance rather than CFL and may include important diplomatic assignments in locations such as in theP-5 countries which areUnited States,Russia,China,United Kingdom andFrance, then comes the neighborhood countries of India (except China, which is already mentioned in P-5) likePakistan,Afghanistan,Sri Lanka,Bangladesh,Bhutan,Nepal andMyanmar and thenG4 nations which areGermany,Japan, andBrazil.[3]
The following table categorizes some international cities according to the MEA classification system, ranging from A* (highest) to C*(NF) (lowest). Each category lists representative cities as per MEA guidelines.[12]
As a career diplomat, the Foreign Service Officer is required to project India's interests, both at home and abroad on a wide variety of issues. These include bilateral political and economic cooperation, trade and investment promotion, cultural interaction, press and media liaison as well as a whole host of multilateral issues.[3]
After successfully passing the UPSC CSE examination, a selected Indian Foreign Service Officer Trainee (OT) is initially appointed as an Assistant Secretary in any of the MEA, where the officer is required to execute assigned tasks within anydivision of the MEA. Upon completion of an initial training period of approximately two months, the officer is posted abroad as a Third Secretary at an Indian Embassy or Indian High Commission for language training. Typically, after 1 to 2 years, the officer is promoted to the rank of Second Secretary at the respective diplomatic mission.[13][14]
After a period of 3 to 4 years of service abroad, the officer is recalled to the MEA and appointed as an Under Secretary, where they serve in any bench of the respective division of the MEA.[15]
Following 8 to 9 years of service, the officer is promoted to Deputy Secretary and may be posted either in the MEA under any division or abroad as a First Secretary.[16]
After 12 to 13 years of service, the officer attains the rank of Director and may also be posted abroad as a Counsellor.[17]
After 16 to 18 years of service, theAppointments Committee of the Cabinet may empanel the officer at the rank ofJoint Secretary, making them eligible for postings as either Deputy Chief of Mission or Deputy High Commissioner or Minister abroad. At this rank, officers serving in the MEA typically become the head of a division.[18][19]
After 26 to 27 years of service, promotion to the rank ofAdditional Secretary is possible, enabling appointments as Ambassador or High Commissioner to neighbouring countries of India or the G4 countries. Officers at this rank may also become head of important divisions in the MEA, such as the Americas division. The primary eligibility criterion for this promotion is that the officer must have a minimum of two years of service remaining before retirement.[20]
After 29 to 30 years of service, officers may be promoted by the Appointments Committee to the rank ofSecretary, at which point they either serve as Ambassador or High Commissioner to P-5 countries or head the Secretary (East, West, South, ER, CPV) divisions in the MEA. The primary eligibility criterion for this promotion is that the officer must have a minimum of two years of service remaining before retirement, same as Additional Secretary.[21]
The rank ofForeign Secretary is conferred only under specific conditions[22]:
The decision of appointment to the post of Foreign Secretary is entirely at the discretion of theAppointments Committee of the Cabinet.[24] In certain cases, the age of the officer is immaterial; for instance,S. Jaishankar, who joined the service at the age of 22, became Foreign Secretary, with only three days remaining before his retirement.Vinay Mohan Kwatra joined the service, even at the age of 26 and subsequently became Foreign Secretary. Conversely, many officers who joined at a young age, such as 23 or 24, did not attain this position, for not fulfilling the above conditions.
While higher studies, such as aMaster's degree orPh.D., are encouraged by the MEA to provide officers with a broader perspective, such qualifications do not influence promotion. For example,Harsh Vardhan Shringla holds only aB.A. degree and nevertheless became Foreign Secretary.
InIndian missions abroad, the highest-ranking officials are the Heads of Missions, who holds the rank ofambassadors,high commissioners, andpermanent representatives. They lead the various embassies,high commissions, and intergovernmental organisations worldwide. Heads of Posts are Consuls General who heads Consulate Generals in missions abroad. In MEA headquarters, the highest-ranking official among the secretaries is theForeign Secretary.
Also in some cases, the senior most IFS officers also held the office ofNational Security Advisor (NSA) and also thePrincipal Secretary who have the rank even above theCabinet Secretary and the Foreign Secretary.
The following is the structure of the Indian Foreign Service:
| Grade/Scale (Level on Pay Matrix) | Posting at Embassies / High Commissions / Permanent Missions | Posting at Consulates | Posting at theMinistry of External Affairs | Position onorder of precedence in India | Pay Scale (Basic Pay) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Administrative Head (Pay level 17) | — | — | Foreign Secretary | 23*[d] | ₹225,000 (US$2,700) |
| Apex scale (Pay level 17) | Ambassador / High Commissioner / Permanent Representative to theUnited Nations or other international organisations | — | Secretary | 23 | ₹225,000 (US$2,700) |
| Higher Administrative Grade (Pay level 15) | — | Additional Secretary | 25 | ₹182,200 (US$2,200)—₹224,100 (US$2,700) | |
| Senior Administrative Grade (Pay level 14) | Ambassador/ High Commissioner/ Minister / Deputy Chief of Mission | Consul General | Joint Secretary | 26 | ₹144,200 (US$1,700)—₹218,200 (US$2,600) |
| Selection Grade (Pay level 13) | Counsellor | Deputy Consul General | Director | ₹123,100 (US$1,500)—₹215,900 (US$2,600) | |
| Junior Administrative Grade (Pay level 12) | First Secretary | Consul | Deputy Secretary | ₹78,800 (US$930)—₹209,200 (US$2,500) | |
| Senior Time Scale (Pay level 11) | Second Secretary | Consul | Under Secretary | ₹67,700 (US$800)—₹208,700 (US$2,500) | |
| Junior Time Scale (Pay level 10) | Third Secretary | Vice Consul | Assistant Secretary | ₹56,100 (US$660)—₹177,500 (US$2,100) |
Note: Apart from the basic pay, IFS officers posted in missions abroad are entitled to aForeign Allowance, which is determined and revised periodically by theMEA. Based on various sources, it is estimated that the starting gross monthly remuneration (Basic Pay + Foreign Allowance + other admissible allowances) of an IFS officer posted abroad begins at a minimum of$4,000 per month at the rank of Third Secretary, and progressively increases to a minimum of$9,500 per month at the rank of Ambassador.[27]
When IFS officers are posted inIndia, their monthly pay is mostly same with that of anIAS officer of the same rank in the Ministry of External Affairs, although certain allowances may differ.
Note: Even at theJoint Secretary rank, some IFS officers may be appointed as Ambassador or High Commissioner to foreign countries (except theP-5 countries), provided there is a vacancy.[28]
Note: Any IFS officer may express a preference for their posting, either abroad or within the MEA. Generally, officers are assigned to their preferred postings whenever possible. However, if there are limited or no vacancies available for the desired posting, the final decision regarding the assignment rests with the Foreign Service Board (FSB). This provides an advantage over theAll India Services officers like the IAS andIPS, where postings are determined at the discretion of the service authorities and are not necessarily aligned with the officers’ preferences.[29]
An Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer is eligible for deputation to various central government organizations, including thePresident's Secretariat,Prime Minister's Office,National Defence College,National Security Council Secretariat, anyministry of the Government of India,Department of Space,Department of Atomic Energy,Lok Sabha Secretariat,Cabinet Secretariat and other organizations in accordance with the central government deputation rules.[30]
IFS officers can also be inducted into theResearch & Analysis Wing (R&AW), theIntelligence Bureau (IB), theNational Investigation Agency (NIA) and other intelligence agencies either on a temporary basis or permanently as intelligence officers.[31][32][33]
IFS officers may also be posted to Regional Passport Offices in any state of India as the Passport Officer. Additionally, there are several branch secretariats of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in cities such as Kolkata, Mumbai, Chennai, Guwahati, and Hyderabad where IFS officers can be assigned. Certain institutes, including theSSIFS and theICWA, also offer deputation opportunities for IFS officers.[34][35]
Unlike the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), IFS officers do not usually serve in state deputation; however, there are rare instances where officers have been posted to state governments, although significant barriers exist in this regard.[36]
India has one of the most understaffed diplomatic forces of any major country in the world.[37][38][39][40] Based on 2014 calculations there are about 2,700 "diplomatic rank" officers in overseas missions and at headquarters.[41] A minority of the diplomatic officers are Foreign Service (A) officers, the senior cadre of Indian diplomacy, which is primarily drawn from direct recruitment through theCivil Services Examination. Although sanctioned strength was 912, the actual strength of Group A was 770 officers in 2014.[41] In addition there were in 2014, 252 Grade-I officers of Indian Foreign Service (B) General Cadre who after promotion are inducted into Indian Foreign Service (A). The lower grades of the Indian Foreign Service(B) General Cadre included 635 attaches. The breakdown of other cadres and personnel included 540 secretarial staff, 33 from the Interpreters Cadre, 24 from the Legal and Treaties Cadre, and 310 personnel from other Ministries.[42]
Shashi Tharoor, then chairman ofCommittee on External Affairs in16th Lok Sabha had presented the 12th report for expanding and building the numbers, quality and capacity of India's diplomats.[41][43][44]
In March 2023,Parliamentary Committeeon External Affairs criticized the service for being severely short-staffed and under-budgeted. In its Demand for Grants (2023–24) report, the committee highlighted that the cadre strength of Indian Foreign Service Officers is only 1,011 which is just 22.5 percent of the total strength. Out of IFS 'A' cadre, 667 are posted at diplomatic missions across the world and 334 are manning the headquarters in Delhi, which at present has 57 divisions.[45]
Since its inception and especially in the early decades of the service, the Indian Foreign Service had a reputation for attracting the country's most talented civil service aspirants.[46] The quality of candidates based on exam rank has significantly declined and the quality of candidates has created concerns about harm to prestige in expanding the size of the service.[47]
In the 1960s and 1970s, exam toppers generally in the top 20 opted for the Indian Foreign Service over theIndian Administrative Service andIndian Police Service, the other elite civil services. By late 1980s, the dip was appreciable and Indian Foreign Service spots did not fill until reaching much deeper down the list.[47] The Indian Foreign Service continues in recent years to have difficulty in attracting the most promising candidates. For the 2017 Civil Services Exam, only 5 of the top 100 candidates chose the Indian Foreign Service with the last ranking person from the General Category in the 152nd position.[citation needed] For candidates withreservation status, a candidate from theScheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in the 640th position closed the list for Indian Foreign Service.[citation needed] The Indian Foreign Service has become less attractive due to higher pay in corporate jobs, other elite civil services like theAll India Services promising more power, and fading glamour as foreign travel became common place.[46]
A parliamentary committee reviewing Indian Foreign Service reform in 2016 feared a negative feedback loop with the "deterioration" in candidate quality as both a "both a symptom and a reason for the erosion of prestige in the Indian Foreign Service". However, the committee was hard pressed to address the issue because it was also concerned about increasing the "quantity" of Indian diplomats.[48]T. P. Sreenivasan, a retired Foreign Service officer, argued in 2015 that "elitism should be preserved" for the Indian Foreign Service to perform effectively. He further lamented the Indian Foreign Service "is already a shadow of its former self" which dissuaded aspirants and the service needed to have its "attractiveness enhanced".[49]
The Indian Foreign Service (Branch B), or IFS (B), has one cadre: the General cadre. Recruitments are made through separate competitive exams, namedCombined Graduate Level Examination (CGLE), conducted by theStaff Selection Commission (SSC). For distinction, the IFS is mostly referred to as IFS (Group A) by the media and general public. Until 2009, the General cadre and Stenographers' cadre personnel were absorbed into IFS after serving a prescribed number of years. Officers from cadre who had joined IFS reached up to the post of ambassador. In 2009, the path to promotion to IFS was closed for the Stenographers cadre.[50]
| Grade | Designation | Classification | Character | Pay Matrix | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Headquarters | Abroad | ||||
| Grade I | Under secretary | First secretary Second secretary | Group A | Non-ministerial | Level 11 |
| Integrated Grade II & III | Section officer Attache | Vice-consul Registrar | Group B | Ministerial | Level 8 |
| Grade IV | Assistant | Assistant | Group B | Ministerial | Level 7 |
| Grade V | Upper division clerk | Upper division clerk | Group C | Ministerial | Level 4 |
| Grade VI | Lower division clerk | Lower division clerk | Group C | Ministerial | Level 2 |
| Cypher sub-cadre | |||||
| Grade I | Cypher assistant | Cypher assistant | Group B | Ministerial | Level 7 |
| Grade | Designation | Classification | Character | Pay Matrix |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Principal staff officer | Group A | Ministerial | Level 13 | |
| Senior principal private secretary | Group A | Ministerial | Level 12 | |
| Grade A | Principal private secretary | Group A | Ministerial | Level 11 |
| Grade B | Private secretary | Group B | Ministerial | Level 8 |
| Grade C | Personal assistant | Group B | Ministerial | Level 7 |
| Grade D | Stenographer | Group C | Ministerial | Level 4 |
In 2012, a counsellor at the high commission of India inFiji, originally from the Stenographer's cadre, who had not joined the IFS was appointed as ambassador toNorth Korea. A senior MEA official said, they had no choice since no one from the IFS had wanted the posting inPyongyang.[50] Three IFS (B) general cadre associations protested by writing to thePrime Minister's Office and the MEA, requesting to review the appointment. According to a senior MEA official, this was not the first time such appointments had occurred, mentioning past instances from the Interpreters' cadre and Cypher sub-cadre, and also recalled a previous appointment from the Stenographers' cadre as an ambassador in North Korea.[53]
Example of IFS officers being deputed to intelligence agencies
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
Links to related articles | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||||||||||||
