MoS for External Affairs Muraleedharan meets IFS trainees, says 'they have interesting career ahead'

Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan met the Indian Foreign Service (IFS) trainee officers of 2019 batch here on Monday and congratulated them for their achievement.

"Happy to meet the Foreign Service Officer Trainees of 2019 batch this morning. Congratulations to them for making it to the prestigious Foreign Service. With India on a high growth trajectory and its profile rising internationally they have an interesting career ahead! @MEAIndia," the minister tweeted.

On October 9, 1946, the IFS was established for India's diplomatic, consular and commercial representation overseas.

The first batch recruited under the combined civil service examination system of the Union Public Service Commission joined the IFS in 1948 and it has remained the principal recruitment mode into the IFS to this day, according to the MEA.

On selection to the IFS through the combined civil services examination, the new entrants undergo a multi-faceted and comprehensive training programme intended to give them a thorough grounding in diplomatic knowledge, diplomatic qualities and diplomatic skills.