Indian Foreign Service (IFS) is the administrative diplomatic[2] civil service under Group A and Group B of the Central Civil Services of the executive branch of the Government of India

IFS Salary and Ranks

The current pay scale of various IFS officers who are posted in foreign missions abroad:

GRADE


POSTED AS


BASIC SCALE (MONTHLY)

Junior Time Scale


Under Secretary


Rs. 8000 - Rs. 14000

Senior Time Scale


Under Secretary


Rs. 10700 - Rs. 16000

Junior Administrative Scale


Deputy Secretary


Rs. 12800 - Rs. 17000

Selection Grade


Counsellor Director


Rs. 15100 - Rs. 18500

Senior Administrative Scale


Joint Secretary


Rs. 18500 - Rs. 22500

High Commissioner / Ambassador


Foreign Secretary


Rs. 26000 (Fixed)


Qualification:

Applicants should hold a degree from any of the recognised universities ormust have an equivalent qualification

Age Limit :

Minimum age 21 years
Maximum age 30 years as on 1st of August in the year of examination.

Relaxable age limit is as follows:

Upto max. 5 years for SC/ST candidates.
Upto max. 3 years for OBC candidates.
Upto max. 5 years for candidate from the State of Jammu & Kashmir
Upto max. 5 years for Defence Services personnel
Upto max. 5 years for Ex-servicemen including Commissioned officers and ECOs/SSCOs who have rendered at least 5 years Military Service and have been released.
Upto max. 5 years for ECOs/SSCOs who have completed an initial period of assignment of 5 years of Military Service.
Upto max. 10 years for Blind, deaf-mute and Orthopaedically handicapped persons

Number of attempts:

The maximum number of attempts is as follows:

General Category Candidates: 4 attempts
Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe (SC/ST) candidates: No restriction
Other Backward Class candidates: 7 attempts

Exam Pattern details:
IFS Exam consists of two stages:
I. Civil Services Preliminary Examination (Objective Type)
II. Indian Forest Service Main Examination (Written and Interview).

I. Preliminary Examination:

The Examination is comprise of two compulsory Papers of 200 marks each.
(i). Both the question papers will be of the objective type (multiple choice questions).
(ii). The question papers will be set both in Hindi and English. However, questions relating to English Language Comprehension skills of Class X level will be tested through passages from English language only without providing Hindi translation thereof in the question paper.
(iii).There are four alternatives for the answers to every question. For each question for which a wrong answer has been given by the candidate, one-third of the marks assigned to that question will be deducted as penalty.
(iv). Each paper will be of two hours duration. Blind candidates will; however, be allowed an extra time of twenty minutes for each paper.

Note I:
Separate lists will be prepared for the candidates eligible to appear in the Civil Service (Main) Examination and Indian Forest Service (Main) Examination, based on the number of vacancies to be filled through the Indian Forest Service Examination and Civil Services Examination.

Note II:
There will be negative marking for incorrect answers.
For each question for which a wrong answer has been given by the candidate, one-third of the marks assigned to that question will be deducted as penalty.

Note III:
Applicants must write the papers in their own hand. In no circumstances will they be allowed the help of a scribe to write the answers for them. However, blind candidates will be allowed to write the examination with the help of a scribe.

II. Main Examination:

The Main Examination will consist of written examination and an interview test. The written examination consisting of the following papers. All Question Papers must be answered in English.

Question Papers will be set in English only. Time duration will be three hours for each paper.
1. Paper I- General English 300 Marks
2. Paper II-General Knowledge 300 Marks
3. Papers III, IV, V and VI.-Any two subjects to be selected from the list of the optional subjects. Each subject will have two papers, 200 marks for each paper.Paper Subject Maximum Marks
Paper-I General English 300
Paper-II General Knowledge 300
Paper-III Any two subjects
to be selected from the list
of the optional subjects. Each subject will have
two papers, 200 marks
for each paper.
Paper-IV
Paper-V
Paper-VI
Total Marks 1400


List of Optional Subjects:
(i). Agriculture
(ii). Agricultural Engineering
(iii). Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Science
(iv). Botany
(v). Chemistry
(vi). Chemical Engineering
(vii). Civil Engineering
(viii). Forestry
(ix). Geology
(x). Mathematics
(xi). Mechanical Engineering
(xii). Physics
(xiii). Statistics
(xiv). Zoology

Provided that the Applicants will not be allowed to offer the following combination of subjects :
(a) Agriculture and Agricultural Engg.
(b) Agriculture and Animal Husbandry
& Veterinary Science.
(c) Agriculture and •Forestry.
(d) Chemistry and Chemical Engg.
(e) Mathematics and Statistics.
(f) Of the Engineering subjects viz. Agricultural Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering and Mechanical Engineering- not more than one subject.