42-596: The Indian Foreign Service ( IFS ) is a diplomatic service and a central civil service of the Government of India under the Ministry of External Affairs . The Foreign Secretary is the head of the service. Vikram Misri is the 35th and the current Foreign Secretary. The service, consisting of civil servants is entrusted with handling the foreign relations of India and providing consular services, and to mark India's presence in international organizations. It
84-659: A holdover from the British Raj . It was renamed the Ministry of External Affairs in 1948. Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru held the portfolio as an additional charge till his death in 1964 and it was only then that a separate Minister with Cabinet rank was appointed. The ministry is responsible for the administration of Naga Hills , Tuensang Area , the Emigration Act of 1983 , the Reciprocity Act of 1943,
126-423: A period of 12 months. Upon the completion of the training program at the institute, an officer is assigned a compulsory foreign language (CFL) training. After a brief period of desk attachment in the Ministry of External Affairs, at the rank of Assistant Secretary, the officer is posted to an Indian diplomatic mission abroad where her/his CFL is the native language. There the officer undergoes language training and
168-473: A whole host of multilateral issues. In Indian missions abroad, the highest-ranking officials are the Heads of Missions, who holds the rank of ambassadors , high commissioners , and permanent 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,
210-514: Is Special Secretary in the MEA. According to OECD estimates, 2019 official development assistance from India increased to US$ 1.6 billion. India Perspectives is the flagship publication of the Ministry of External Affairs. A bi-monthly magazine, it is digitally published in English and Hindi, and 14 other international languages, with a readership spanning 170 countries. It is crafted to support
252-539: Is expected to develop proficiency in the CFL and pass an examination before being allowed to continue in the service. 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
294-667: Is headed by the Minister of External Affairs (or simply, the Foreign Minister; in Hindi : Videsh Mantri ).The Foreign Secretary is the most senior civil servant who is the head of the Department of Foreign Affairs, and is supported by other secretary level officers. Development Partnership Administration (DPA) is an agency under the Ministry of External Affairs formed in 2013 to increase its strategic footprint and for
336-643: Is mandated with the task of the legislative oversight of the Ministry of External Affairs. In March 2023, the committee in its Demand for Grants (2023–24) report, criticized the ministry for being "most short-staffed" and under-budgeted. The committee highlighted that The total strength of 4,888 is distributed across different cadres of the Ministry such as the Indian Foreign Service (IFS), IFS General Cadre, IFS Group B, Stenographers Cadre, Interpreters Cadre, Legal and Treaties Cadre, among others. The cadre strength of Indian Foreign Service Officers
378-674: Is still used to select new foreign service officers. 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 at Sushma Swaraj Foreign Service Institute after a brief foundation course at the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration , Mussoorie . In recent years,
420-426: Is the body of diplomats and foreign policy officers maintained by the government of a country to communicate with the governments of other countries. Diplomatic personnel obtain diplomatic immunity when they are accredited to other countries. Diplomatic services are often part of the larger civil service and sometimes a constituent part of the foreign ministry . Some intergovernmental organizations, such as
462-785: Is the body of career diplomats serving in more than 160 Indian diplomatic missions and international organizations around the world. In addition, they serve at the President's Secretariat , the Prime Minister's Office and at the headquarters of MEA in New Delhi. They also head Regional Passport Offices throughout the country and hold positions in several ministries on deputation. Post-retirement, Indian Foreign Service officers have held high offices including that of President , Vice President , Governors of States , Speaker of Lok Sabha , and Cabinet ministers . On 13 September 1783,
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#1732773401022504-476: The All India Services promising more power, and fading glamour as foreign travel became common place. 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
546-543: The European Union , and some international non-state organizations, such as the Sovereign Military Order of Malta , may also retain diplomatic services in other jurisdictions. For non-state organizations, the reciprocation of diplomatic recognition by other jurisdictions is difficult, as diplomacy tends to establish the concept of recognition upon an assumed sovereignty over geographical territory;
588-1099: The Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA) in Mussoorie , where members of the other elite Indian civil services are trained. After completing a 15-week training at the LBSNAA, the probationers join the Sushma Swaraj Foreign Service Institute, India in New Delhi for a more intensive training in a host of subjects important to diplomacy, including international relations theory, military diplomacy, trade, India's foreign policy, history , international law , diplomatic practice, hospitality, protocol and administration. They also go on attachments with different government bodies and defense ( Army , Navy , Air Force , CAPF ) establishments and undertake tours both in India and Indian missions abroad. The entire training program lasts for
630-592: The Prime 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. Diplomatic service Diplomatic service
672-572: The United Nations and other international organizations, whilst expanding and safeguarding India's influence. The Ministry of External Affairs also advises other Ministries of the Government of India and State Governments on pertinent international developments. The Committee on External Affairs is tasked with this ministry's legislative oversight. The Ministry was initially the Ministry of External Affairs and Commonwealth Relations ,
714-666: The board of directors of the East India Company passed a resolution at Fort William , Calcutta (now Kolkata ), to create a department, which could help "relieve the pressure" on the Warren Hastings administration in conducting its "secret and political business." Although established by the Company, the Indian Foreign Department conducted business with foreign European powers. From
756-672: The Foreign Department, it was soon realized that it was administratively imperative to completely bifurcate the department. Consequently, the External 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 by Lieutenant-General T. J. Hutton,
798-646: The General cadre. Recruitments are made through separate competitive exams, named Combined Graduate Level Examination (CGLE), conducted by the Staff 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
840-617: 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. Shashi Tharoor , then chairman of Committee on External Affairs in 16th Lok Sabha had presented the 12th report for expanding and building
882-470: The Ministry's diplomatic initiatives and highlight India's bilateral ties with the rest of the world. The magazine provides an insight into India's culture and tradition along with elements of contemporary India. With intelligent, analytical and verified editorial content, the publication is one of the most authentic sources of information regarding India's ‘soft diplomacy’ initiatives as well as its rich cultural, scientific and political heritage. By showcasing
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#1732773401022924-777: The Port Haj Committee Act of 1932, the Indian Merchant Shipping Act in so far as it relates to pilgrim ships, the Indian Pilgrim Shipping Rules of 1933, the Protection of Pilgrims Act of 1887 (Bombay) and the Protection of the Mohammedan Pilgrims Act of 1896 (Bengal). The Ministry was integrated with Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs on 7 January 2016. The government said that the decision
966-718: The SMOM, in this case, receives diplomats at its headquarters in Rome, as all permanent missions to the SMOM are jointly accredited as permanent missions to the Holy See. In relation, many more non-state international organizations, such as the IFRC / ICRC , maintain permanent non-voting observer status to intergovernmental bodies such as the United Nations General Assembly , appointing individual representatives to
1008-488: 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." The Government of India Act 1935 attempted to delineate more clearly functions of the foreign and political wings of
1050-629: The Secretary of the Planning and Development Department. 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
1092-574: The country's various facets through original stories on travel, art, music, cinema and more, the magazine takes India to the world. The office of the Ministry is located in the South Block building which also contains the Prime Minister's office and Ministry of Defence . Other offices are located in Jawaharlal Nehru Bhawan, Shastri Bhawan, Patiala House, and ISIL Building. Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs
1134-543: The diplomatic officers are Foreign Service (A) officers, the senior cadre of Indian diplomacy, which is primarily drawn from direct recruitment through the Civil Services Examination . Although sanctioned strength was 912, the actual strength of Group A was 770 officers in 2014. 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
1176-521: The effective execution of projects with professionals from diverse backgrounds. India has an elaborate project portfolio in its neighbourhood, including Bhutan, Nepal, Afghanistan, Maldives, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh, as well as Africa and Latin America. It is headed by Sujata Mehta, one of India's foremost diplomats and former Indian representative to the UN Conference on Disarmament, Geneva. Mehta
1218-603: The establishment of the Indian Foreign Service, the idea of which was proposed by diplomat Abhay K . Officers of the Indian Foreign Service are recruited by the Government of India on the recommendation of the Union Public Service Commission . In 1948, the first group of Indian Foreign Service officers were recruited based on the Civil Services Examination conducted by the Union Public Service Commission This exam
1260-648: The extradition of fugitives. The Ministry of External Affairs is steered by the Minister of External Affairs , a minister in the PM's Cabinet. The Foreign Secretary , an Indian Foreign Service officer, is the most senior civil servant and the Head of the Department of Foreign Affairs. The Ministry represents the Government of India through 186 embassies around the world. It is also responsible for India's representation at
1302-496: The highest-ranking official among the secretaries is the Foreign Secretary . The below rank structure is for Indian Foreign Service officers who directly enter the service, in ascending order of ranks. India has one of the most understaffed diplomatic forces of any major country in the world. Based on 2014 calculations there are about 2,700 "diplomatic rank" officers in overseas missions and at headquarters. A minority of
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1344-497: The issue because it was also concerned about increasing the "quantity" of Indian diplomats. 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". The Indian Foreign Service (Branch B), or IFS (B), has one cadre:
1386-633: 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 152th position. For candidates with reservation status , a candidate from the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in the 640th position closed the list for Indian Foreign Service. The Indian Foreign Service has become less attractive due to higher pay in corporate jobs, other elite civil services like
1428-534: The number of candidates selected to the Indian Foreign Service has averaged between 25 and 30 annually. On acceptance to the Foreign Service, new entrants undergo significant training, which is considered to be one of the most challenging and longest service trainings in the Government of India and nearly takes more than 1 year to graduate from. The entrants undergo a probationary period (during which they are referred to as Officer Trainees). Training begins at
1470-455: The numbers, quality and capacity of India's diplomats. In March 2023, Parliamentary Committee on 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
1512-554: The objectives of the future government. On 9 October 1946, the Indian government established the Indian Foreign Service for India's diplomatic , consular and commercial representation overseas. With independence, there was a near-complete transition of the Foreign and Political Department into what then became the new Ministry of External Affairs . Indian Foreign Service Day is celebrated on 9 October every year since 2011 to honor
1554-407: The observer office. This government -related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Ministry of External Affairs (India) The Ministry of External Affairs (abbreviated as MEA ; ISO : Vidēśa Mantrālaya ) of India is tasked with formulating and implementing Indian foreign policy , in tandem with the repatriation of Indian citizens in danger abroad and
1596-627: The post of ambassador. In 2009, the path to promotion to IFS was closed for the Stenographers cadre. In 2012, a counsellor at the high commission of India in Fiji , originally from the Stenographer's cadre, who had not joined the IFS was appointed as ambassador to North Korea . A senior MEA official said, they had no choice since no one from the IFS had wanted the posting in Pyongyang . Three IFS (B) general cadre associations protested by writing to
1638-522: The size of the service. In the 1960s and 1970s, exam toppers generally in the top 20 opted for the Indian Foreign Service over the Indian Administrative Service and Indian 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. The Indian Foreign Service continues in recent years to have difficulty in attracting
1680-485: The very beginning, a distinction was maintained between the foreign and political functions of the Foreign Department; relations with all "Asiatic powers" (including native princely states ) were treated as political , while relations with European powers were treated as foreign . In 1843, the Governor-General of India , Edward Law, 1st Earl of Ellenborough carried out administrative reforms, organizing
1722-488: The world and 334 are manning the headquarters in Delhi, which at present has 57 divisions. 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. 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
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1764-489: Was taken in line with government's "overall objective of minimizing government and maximizing governance" and that it will help the government address duplication as well as unnecessary delays. The Ministry is the cadre-controlling authority of the Indian Foreign Service ; the service is wholly under the administration and supervision of the External Affairs Ministry. The Ministry of External Affairs
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