The Prime Minister’s Office has proposed a major change in how top civil services like IAS, IPS and IFS are allocated—by adding Foundation Course (FC) marks to UPSC Civil Services Exam scores. The plan has triggered widespread concern among civil servants, aspirants and constitutional experts over fears of executive interference and politicisation of recruitment.

BulletsIn :

* PMO seeks overhaul of service & cadre allocation rules for IAS/IPS/IFS

* Proposal: add Foundation Course marks to UPSC exam score

* FC = 100-day DoPT training; currently counts only for batch seniority

* DoPT asks all cadre-controlling ministries for feedback

* Aim: make probationers take FC seriously; ensure holistic assessment

* Major concerns: dilution of UPSC independence; executive overreach

* Risk of political pressure on faculty & academies → “loyal bureaucracy” fear

* Different academies = different standards → arbitrariness in scoring

* Unfair for top rankers who underperform in 3-month FC; fairness concerns

* Large batches (≈1000 aspirants) make uniform FC evaluation impractical

* Seen as part of broader trend: lateral entry, CSAT dilution, new cadre zones

* Overall practicality questioned; potential misuse makes move controversial