scorecardresearch
Saturday, July 19, 2025
TopicIndian foreign service

Topic: indian foreign service

Understaffed MEA slowing down India’s sprint towards ‘Vishwa Guru’ status, but needle may be moving

With 1,011 officers across 137 countries, India has around the same cadre of diplomats as smaller countries, like New Zealand & Singapore.

‘GOAT of foreign service’ turns 100. MK Rasgotra was Nehru’s aide & critic, gave Chanakyapuri its name

Rasgotra has seen the transformation of Indian foreign policy from Independence to the 1990s. The most notable was his tenure as foreign secretary from May 1982 to January 1985.

IFS officer Pranay Verma appointed India’s new ambassador to Bangladesh

As he had been serving as India's envoy to Vietnam, Sandeep Arya will now fill the post as the next Ambassador of India to Vietnam.

Govt owes Indians an explanation. Or its gag order & pension rule can be seen as blackmail

Retired officials’ freedom of expression has been threatened by empowering the government to withhold pension even before 'guilt' is established.

K Shankar Bajpai, India’s former envoy to US, China and Pakistan, dies at 92

Former IFS officer K Shankar Bajpai was born into a family of diplomats, and after serving the country, went on to become a noted academic.

India wants to be Vishwa Guru but IFS gets too few diplomats to take us there

Only 24 officers were recruited to the IFS in this year’s UPSC exam, and officials and former diplomats say there’s a host of reasons why.

50% IAS, IFS recruits are children of govt servants. But this is a story of their merit

Of the civil servants who have taken the foundation course at LBSNAA since 2014, at least 50% come from families with a govt service background, data shows.

How capable is India’s foreign policy — IFS officers cover the base but MEA needs fixing

India is relatively strong at the level of individual competence but weak at the organisational and systemic levels.

On Camera

Fauja Singh’s death shows Indian roads remain a national emergency—474 lives lost every day

Fauja Singh, 114, died after being hit by a speeding car. His death renews questions about India’s deadly roads, rising accidents, and poor traffic discipline.

India-US set to ink mini trade deal soon, reach understanding on agricultural & dairy products

Mini deal will likely see no cut in 10% baseline tariff on Indian exports announced by Trump on 2 April, it is learnt, but additional 26% tariffs are set to be reduced.

Not just AK-203, India & Russia to jointly manufacture AK-19 and PPK-20 for domestic use and export 

India-Russia JV is also racing to deliver 7,000 more AK-203 assault rifles by 15 Aug. These are currently being made with 50% indigenisation and this will surge to 100% by 31 December.

Strategic partner one day, tactical nightmare the next: India’s learning Trumplomacy the hard way

Public, loud, upfront, filled with impropriety and high praise sometimes laced with insults. This is what we call Trumplomacy. But the larger objective is the same: American supremacy.