Indian Foreign Service
Thursday, March 28, 2024
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Indian Foreign Service (IFS) : Job Prospects & Career options

  
  
  
  
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Probationers at first are attached with a desk, dealing with a particular country, at the External Affairs Ministry in India. Thereafter they are posted abroad to the Indian Mission of that country, as third secretaries. Normally he is posted in a country where his compulsory foreign language (CFL) is the native language and enrolled in a language course. The officer is expected to develop proficiency in his CFL and pass the requisite examination before he is confirmed in service. Then he/she is promoted to Second Secretary as soon as he is confirmed in service. They remain in the same office as Second Secretary for two years.

Officers can also be posted to Indian Consulates abroad where the hierarchy is Vice-Consul, Consul and Consul General.

Probationers at first are attached with a desk, dealing with a particular country, at the External Affairs Ministry. Thereafter they are posted to the Indian Mission of that country, as third secretaries. During their tenure within the country they work in the Ministry or are posted in any of its attached office e.g. the Passport Office. They are deputed to institutions like United Nations, UNESCO, World Bank, SAARC, etc.

Service Hierarchy

Grade  Pay scales  Designation in Field  Designation in Headquarters 
Junior Time Scale 8000-275-13500 

 

Attache / Third secretary  Under secretary 
 Senior Time Scale 10650-325-15850 

 

Second / First secretary  Under secretary 
Junior Administrative Grade  12000-375-16500 

 

First secretary Deputy secretary 
Selection grade IV 14300-400-18300 Director Counselor Director 
Senior Administrative Grade 18400-500-22400 Minister/DCM Ambassador  Joint secretary 
Senior Administrative Grade 22400-525-24500  Ambassador/high Commissioner 
Additional secretary 
Senior Administrative Grade 26000 (fixed)  Ambassador/High Commissioner  Secretary

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. 

Main functions include: Representing India in its Embassies, High Commissions, Consulates, and Permanent Missions to multilateral organizations like UN; Protecting India’s national interests in the country of his/her posting; Negotiating agreements on various issues with the authorities of the receiving state; and Extending consular facilities to foreigners and Indian nationals abroad. At home, Ministry of External Affairs is responsible for all aspects of external relations. 

 










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