20 October 2026
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Why IFS Lost Out To IAS As First Choice of UPSC Toppers

More and more successful UPSC CSE toppers have been opting for the IAS. The IFS, so far considered as the elite service, has been related to the third spot. In this video interview, Indian Masterminds tried to find out the reasons for the change
Indian Masterminds Stories

Ever since the beginning, the Indian Foreign Service (IFS) used to be the first choice of the toppers in the UPSC Civil Services Exam. It was considered an elite service and only cream de la cream used to opt for it. IAS and IPS used to be taken by those who couldn’t get into the IFS. 

Times have changed. There apparently is a paradigm shift in the structure of civil services because of which successful candidates’ choices too have changed. Now, IFS is no more the natural first choice of the toppers. Most of the toppers have increasingly been opting for the IAS. The IPS is emerging as the second choice and IFS has been relegated to third place.

Indian Masterminds tried to fathom the reason for the changes by speaking to experts. Please watch the video to find out.


Indian Masterminds Stories
Join our WhatsApp Channel
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Related Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
NEWS
Rajnath Singh SCO Meeting 2026
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh Calls for Unified Action to Dismantle Terrorism Ecosystem at 25th SCO Meeting 
MF Farooqui
Punjab Deploys 1,300 Personnel Ahead of Amit Shah’s Visit to Meet Drug Victims’ Families, Says DGP MF Farooqui 
J.S
Former Telecom Secretary J.S. Deepak Says IAS Failed to Guide Political Leadership on China’s Economic Model
Suicide
UPSC Aspirant from Andhra Pradesh Found Dead in Delhi’s Old Rajinder Nagar, Police Begin Probe 
Sudhakar Singh
RJD MP Sudhakar Singh Seeks Lok Sabha Speaker’s Intervention Over Defamation Notice by IPS Kundan Krishnan
IPS Tejaswini Gautam
Who Is IPS Tejaswini Gautam? Kota SP Wins Praise for Swift Action in Tiger Shroff Firing Case
NLC-INDIA-resized-neyvili
NLC India Limited Receives ‘CRISIL ESG 57’ Rating from CRISIL ESG Ratings & Analytics
Haryana Police Martyrs
Haryana Govt Transfers 28 IPS, HPS Officers; Noopur Bishnoi Gets Additional Charge of AIG Welfare 
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
Dr Saket Badola IFS
Beyond Tigers and Safaris: How Corbett Literature Festival Wants to Change the Conservation Conversation
PK Jena
Why Technology Cannot Replace Human Connection in Governance: P.K. Jena
PK Jena
The IAS Officer Who Put People Before Paperwork: How PK Jena Challenged Corruption and Reformed Governance
ADVERTISEMENT
UPSC Stories
Bhikan Rojekar UPSC
He missed MBBS by 1 mark in 2016; Maharashtra’s Bhikan Rojekar secures UPSC AIR 812
Bhikan Rojekar secured AIR 812 in UPSC CSE 2025 in his third attempt. Read how the son of a farm labourer...
Umar Janj UPSC CAPF
15+ Failures Couldn’t Stop Him: Umar Janj Secures AIR 160 in UPSC CAPF 2025
After multiple SSB setbacks, a CAPF interview miss by 12 marks and more than 15 failures, Umar Janj secured...
Aayush Sharma
Three CDS Attempts, Five AFCAT Qualifications & Medical Setback: How Aayush Sharma Secured CAPF AIR 135
After three unsuccessful SSB attempts, five AFCAT qualifications and a medical setback, Aayush Sharma...
CSR NEWS
HPCL Gorakhpur cricket stadium
HPCL Commits ₹10 Crore Under CSR for International Cricket Stadium Development in Gorakhpur 
The CSR contribution aims to strengthen sports infrastructure, promote grassroots cricket, create employment...
nhpc csr
NHPC Tanakpur Power Station Provides Vehicles Worth ₹40 Lakh and Medical Equipment Worth ₹28 Lakh Under CSR
Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami Flags Off Three Vehicles for Forest Divisions and Inaugurates a Phacoemulsification...
NBCC India CSR Award 2026
NBCC India Wins Award for Excellence in CSR at 4th Fortune Leadership Awards 2026
The recognition honours NBCC’s community welfare initiatives and efforts to improve healthcare accessibility...
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Latest
Rajnath Singh SCO Meeting 2026
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh Calls for Unified Action to Dismantle Terrorism Ecosystem at 25th SCO Meeting 
MF Farooqui
Punjab Deploys 1,300 Personnel Ahead of Amit Shah’s Visit to Meet Drug Victims’ Families, Says DGP MF Farooqui 
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
Dr Saket Badola IFS
PK Jena
PK Jena
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT