Indian Foreign Service is one of the most prestigious services in the Government of India and is a part of central services. Every year UPSC (Union Public Service Commission) holds the Civil Services Exam, which is considered one of the toughest exams to crack. Aspirants undergo a rigorous selection procedure that comprises three rounds viz Preliminary, Mains and Interview. Based on these rounds, the final list of selected candidates is prepared. In all these years, it has been observed that IFS as the position is mostly chosen by the top 50 selected candidates, proving how tough it is to get into IFS even after clearing the civil service exam. 25-30 candidates are chosen for IFS, representing India on the International forum every year.
Since it is an executive branch of the Government of India and deals in foreign relations, international trade, diplomacy, etc., it is controlled by the Ministry of External Affairs. There are well-known personalities in IFS, such as our 10th President, Mr K.R Narayanan, an IFS officer. Other notable dignitaries are Meira Kumar, Hardeep Singh Puri, Mani Shankar Aiyar, K . Natwar Singh, Nirupama Rao, and special mention to C.B.Muthamma, who was the first woman to clear the Indian Civil Services Examination and was also the first woman to join the Indian Foreign Service.
Training For The IFS Officer Job Profile
As mentioned above, candidates chosen for IFS represent India on the international forum; hence they need to undergo a comprehensive training program to make them ready for the task. The first training phase starts at Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA) in Mussorie, which lasts for 15 weeks. At Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA), they undergo training alongside members of other elite Indian Civil services such as IAS and IPS.
Post completion of 15-week training at LBSNAA, candidates undergo more specific training at Sushma Swaraj Foreign Service Institute, India, in New Delhi, which prepares them for all the challenges they may encounter during their service. They also undertake various tours with different government bodies and defence establishments during the training period to understand the job requirements and sharpen their skills. The entire training program lasts for 12 months. Finally, the officer is assigned a compulsory foreign language (CFL) of the country where the job is located. The candidates must develop proficiency and clear the exam before being allowed to continue the service.
Rank Structure For IFS Officer Job Profile
There is a hierarchy in IFS service which a candidate undergoes and, based on the performance, is progressed to the next level. Below are the levels which a candidate undergoes during the tenure:
| Embassy | Ministry of External Affairs | |
| Lowest rank | Third secretary | Under Secretary |
| Second secretary | Deputy Secretary | |
| First secretary | Director | |
| Counsellor | Joint Secretary | |
| Minister | Additional Secretary | |
| Deputy Chief of Mission/Deputy High Commissioner/Deputy Permanent Representative | Secretary | |
| Highest rank | Ambassador/ High Commissioner/Permanent representative | The Foreign Secretary of India |
More than rank, the kind of exposure officers receive in IFS broadens their base and provides ample opportunities in various fields such as politics and an international forum such as UN, IMF, UNESCO to undertake the challenging task.
Responsibilities of The IFS Officer Job Profile
An IFS officer represents his county and thus is required to safeguard India’s interest and highlight any issue on the International forum; a recent example is of 2012 batch IFS officer Ms Sneha Dubey who gave the fiery response to Pakistan Prime Minister Mr Imran Khan at the UN (United Nations). Their job responsibilities include bilateral political and economic cooperation, trade and investment promotion, cultural interaction, press and media liaison, and a whole host of multilateral issues.
IFS as a position carries a subtle amount of power in it due to the responsibilities they have. Below is the job description which they need to carry out as a part of their job requirement:
- Foremost responsibility includes representing India at the International forum. It can make India’s presence felt at High Commissions, Consulates, Multilateral organizations such as the UN, IMF, UNESCO.
- Represent India in its Embassies and participate in various permanent missions globally.
- Ensure friendly relations with the countries where they are posted, represent their countrymen, and protect their rights.
- Put forward a strong foot at global level and highlight any issues of national interests; simultaneously protecting it too.
- Provide consular facilities to NRI (Non-Resident Indian), foreigners, and Indian nationals who went abroad as professionals or tourists.
- Act as mediators between the receiving state and India and facilitate agreements on various issues that can have socio-political and economic impacts.
- Provide feedback and vital information on the developments happening in the country where they are posted and apprise the Indian Government on how this development can impact them.
- They need to safeguard India’s interests where they are posted and ensure cordial relations between the two countries.
Along with that, IFS officers are posted in India at MEA (Ministry of External Affairs). They are involved in various decision-making processes, formulating new policies, safeguarding the national interest in various bilateral and multilateral meetings.
IFS Officer Job Profile
Based on the above information, we can now conclude what IPS officer job profile is:
1. Represent the nation
2. Counseling activities/Embassy role
3. Safeguard National interest
4. Negotiation (During Bilateral/Multilateral ties)
5. Promote Friendship between countries
6. Formulate Policies
Power of an IFS officer
There is an old saying; With great power comes great responsibilities, which is true for an IFS officer. IFS position is a powerful position as they represent the country, and their actions represent action taken by the Government. Any wrong intent will lead to fatal consequences and may even tarnish the country’s image. Also, as an IFS officer is involved in the decision-making process and formulating policies, they need to be responsible. They should not have a cataract vision to have a sound policy in place.
FAQs
IFS officers are selected through civil service examination conducted by UPSC (Union Public Service Commission).
Civil Services is considered one of the toughest exams to crack. Aspirants undergo a rigorous selection procedure that comprises three rounds viz Preliminary, Mains and Interview. The final list of selected candidates is prepared based on their performance in these rounds.
There are two phases in the training process to prepare an IFS officer. The first training phase starts at Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA) in Mussorie, which lasts for 15 weeks. At Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA), they undergo training and members of other elite Indian Civil services such as IAS and IPS, etc. Post completion of 15-week training at LBSNAA, candidates undergo more specific training at Sushma Swaraj Foreign Service Institute, India, in New Delhi, which prepares them for all the challenges they may encounter during their service.
The training duration is 12 months to train an IFS officer for the job completely.
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