At the launch of the book “Nehru’s First Recruit,” senior Congress leader and former diplomat Mani Shankar Aiyar discussed the evolution of the Indian Foreign Service (IFS) from its upper-caste origins to a more democratic institution. Aiyar described himself as the “last IFS recruit” under India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and highlighted how the IFS has overcome the “bad features” of its early days.
Aiyar stated, “The IFS up to my generation and even into the 21st century was an upper caste service. It was a service made up of ‘Macaulay ki aulad’ (children of Lord Macaulay). Now, it is becoming more democratic and it has a lot of Hindi speakers… We are getting the flavour of our country into the foreign service and that I think is a very good thing.”
Lord Thomas Babington Macaulay is known for introducing English education in India, influencing the composition of early IFS recruits. Aiyar, who joined the IFS in 1963 and served in various capacities, including as Joint Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs, shared an anecdote from Istanbul. He praised a Hindi-speaking recruit who became fluent in English and Turkish within a year, reflecting the increasing diversity and adaptability within the IFS.
Aiyar also noted the growing presence of women in the IFS, a significant shift from its male-dominated past. He mentioned Chonira Belliappa, India’s first woman diplomat, as a pioneer and acknowledged that current policies now allow women to marry and continue their careers, even if they marry foreigners. This marks a departure from earlier regulations, where marrying a foreigner could end a diplomat’s career.
Congress leader Karan Singh, another speaker at the event, praised Nehru’s role in modernizing the IFS. Singh shared his own experience of declining an offer to become High Commissioner to the UK in 1964 from then-Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri, choosing instead to pursue a political career.
The discussion underscored the positive changes within the IFS, making it a more inclusive and representative institution of India’s diverse society.
