Even as India is pursuing a proactive foreign policy under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a parliamentary committee has flagged the shortfall of Indian diplomats as well as the deteriorating quality of
Even as India is pursuing a proactive foreign policy under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a parliamentary committee has flagged the shortfall of Indian diplomats as well as the deteriorating quality of new recruits into the Indian Foreign Service as major concerns. The ministry of external affairs (MEA) told the parliamentary committee, “The size of India’s diplomatic corps is around 2,700 against 1,250 diplomats of the Republic of Korea, 800-850 of Singapore, 1,300 of New Zealand, 900 of Italy, 2,000 of Brazil, 4,500 of China, while Japan’s diplomatic corps numbers 5,700.”
Of these 2,700, there are only about 770 Indian IFS officers out of a sanctioned strength of 912, the committee observed.
“The committee has, therefore, recommended that the ministry takes urgent notice of the low strength of the IFS cadre as well as that of the total diplomatic corps of the country and initiate remedial measures at the earliest,” the committee noted.
“The committee has expressed its concern over deterioration in the quality of recruits into the IFS. The committee has specifically observed that in the past, only the candidates who were able to secure the highest ranks in the Civil Services Exam were able to enter the IFS. It has come as a matter of surprise to the committee that today even low ranked candidates are able to enter the IFS. This development is both a symptom and a reason for the erosion of prestige in the IFS,” the committee noted. It also asked the MEA to “upgrade the training module of IFS trainees as per the best international practices and to improve the English language proficiency.”
The MEA, however, opposed the idea of conducting separate exams for the foreign services, and said, “The ministry feels that it is in the interests of the IFS to continue its recruitment through the combined Civil Services Examination.”
However, the committee felt that while the CSE assesses the overall knowledge and general aptitude of the candidates, “the aptitude of the candidates for foreign services is not being properly assessed”.
“The committee has recommended that an additional paper for testing the aforementioned aptitude/ knowledge be introduced by the UPSC and that this should be made obligatory for candidates opting for the IFS,” it added. It also asked sought to “dilute” the Indian language provision in the CSE.
