Scope of Indian Foreign Service (Civil Service), Courses, Jobs and Salary In India.

• Indian Foreign Service comes under Grand A and Grade B of the civil service of the executive branch of the government of India. The main motive of IFS is to Conduct diplomacy and manage foreign relations of India. Moreover, IFS is responsible to plan India’s interest, both at home and abroad on a wide variety of issue such as bilateral political and economic cooperation, trade and investment promotion, cultural interaction, press, and media liaison as well as a whole host of multilateral issues. 
• An Indian Foreign service offers you an excellent career opportunity. Being a foreign service officer you will start as a Third Secretary and can be promoted to Second Secretary as soon as, you will confirm to this service. Along with this, you will learn about the political and economic situation of India. 
• Officers of the IFS are recruited by the Government of India on the recommendation of the Union Public Service Commission. Moreover, the selection of top service personnel is done through Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) Combined Civil Service Exams.
   

• Should be healthy and very pleasant in communication
• Should be a good time manager, and have ability to organize yourself towards selected studies
• Finances should be sound
• Should have Leadership and dynamic quality 
   

• The pay scale doesn’t count. The personnel pay scale is usually very high (including the retired ones) and is appropriately revised by the central government every 10 years. It is the prestige that is counted with this job. Besides all this, the standard food and medical care is provided. Also at the time of special duties like securing electioneering processes or when sent to so called difficult terrains, they are entitled to special bonus.
• Generally, the civil servi
  • You will be busy representing India at very important institutions abroad, like United Nations, Embassies or Consulates, regional transnational Organizations like ASEAN, SAARC. You will be responsible for protecting the Indian interests in red carpet ceremonies. At the embassy you will be assisting foreigners to get VISA for India. Sometimes you will be assisting Indian men abroad in technical-legal matters. 
  • Besides the international ceremonies, you will be prime agent when dealing in bilateral or trilateral kind of security interests, business extensions etc. You will be responsible for projecting India’s interests abroad or at home. Back home in Passport Office you will be assisting in Passport related duties etc.
  1. Ranking structure at an embassy
  2. Ambassador/High Commissioner/Permanent Representative 
  3. Deputy Chief of Mission/Deputy High Commissioner/Deputy Permanent Representative
  4. Minister
  5. Counselor
  6. First Secretary
  7. Second Secretary (promotion upon being confirmed in service)
  8. Third Secretary (entry level)

  Ranking structure at the Ministry of External Affairs

  1. Foreign Secretary of India 
  2. Secretary
  3. Additional Secretary
  4. Joint Secretary
  5. Director
  6. Deputy Secretary 
  7. Assistant Secretary/Under Secretary
      
  • Government has a fixed salary grade for IFS officer. In counterpart to other jobs, the services in civil service sector provide satisfaction from many perspectives. You will be entitled to a good salary plus numerous facilities for the well being of your immediate family, like free affordable housing, children education fund. At the time of retirement you will be provided retirement funds.