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Diplomat

Government & Public Service

Diplomats represent a nation's interests abroad, managing bilateral and multilateral relationships through negotiation, political reporting, economic advocacy, consular services, and public diplomacy. In India, the primary route is the Indian Foreign Service (IFS), selected via UPSC Civil Services Examination — one of the smallest All India Service intakes (~30-40 vacancies per year) — followed by two years of training at the Foreign Service Institute in New Delhi. IFS officers rotate between MEA South Block in Delhi (territorial and functional desks covering neighbours, P5, Gulf, Indo-Pacific, multilateral organisations) and overseas postings at India's ~190 missions and posts, rising from Third Secretary to Ambassador or Foreign Secretary over a 35-year career. Beyond the IFS, diplomacy as a profession also includes UN Political Affairs Officers, multilateral organisation staff (UNDP, UNEP, WTO, Commonwealth Secretariat), and India Trade Service officers conducting economic diplomacy — but the IFS remains the canonical Indian diplomatic career with the clearest ladder, the most demanding selection, and the widest mandate.