15 November 2026
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

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

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
Related Videos
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
NEWS
cm dhami
Uttarakhand CM Dhami Approves Rs 78.18 Crore for Development Projects and Kumbh Mela 2027 Preparations 
cm dhami
Uttarakhand CM Dhami Approves Rs 353.93 Lakh for Road Construction and Infrastructure Projects
CNH Tractor Plant in Uttar Pradesh
CNH to Invest Rs 2,000 Crore in Jewar Tractor Plant; CM Yogi Highlights UP's Shift from 'Rule of Mafia' to 'Rule of Law'
patna
Bihar: Consumer Commission Orders SBI to Release Seven Fixed Deposits Worth Rs 7.52 Lakh to Legal Heir 
Mungeli development
Chhattisgarh CM Vishnu Deo Sai Announces 77 Development Projects Worth Rs 465.40 Crore in Mungeli
Gyanendra Kumar Gangwar KPSC case
KPSC Recruitment Scam: ED Files 585-Page Chargesheet Against Former Chairman, IAS Officer Over Alleged Paper Leak
Navi Mumbai Fake IAS Officer Case
Gorakhpur Gets 4 IAS Officers of 2020 Batch as CDO, Municipal Commissioner and Authority Heads, CM Yogi Adityanath’s Home Turf
MHA revises IPS deputation
MHA Revises IPS Deputation Strength in CPOs and CAPFs: DG and SDG Posts Rise, ADG Posts Cut by Four
ADVERTISEMENT
UPSC Stories
Gautam UPSC
He Studied at 4 AM in a 10×10 Mumbai Slum Room; Today, Gautam Padibhar is an Indian Forest Service Officer
Meet IFS officer Gautam Padhibhar, a 2023-batch Chhattisgarh cadre officer who rose from financial hardship...
Aniket Sagar ICoAS
No Coaching, Full-Time Job and Two Attempts: How Aniket Sagar Cleared ICoAS
Aniket Sagar, a chartered accountant from Bundelkhand, cleared UPSC ICoAS 2025 after working at PwC,...
IDAS Himanshu Tembhekar
Should UPSC Aspirants Give Up Their Hobbies? IDAS Officer Himanshu Tembhekar Explains
Should UPSC aspirants give up their hobbies? IDAS officer Himanshu Tembhekar explains how hobbies help...
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Latest
cm dhami
Uttarakhand CM Dhami Approves Rs 78.18 Crore for Development Projects and Kumbh Mela 2027 Preparations 
cm dhami
Uttarakhand CM Dhami Approves Rs 353.93 Lakh for Road Construction and Infrastructure Projects
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT