How is the Compulsory Foreign Language assigned to IFS officers at SSIFS, and what does the process actually look like?

Every IFS probationer must master one Compulsory Foreign Language (CFL). The Sushma Swaraj Institute of Foreign Service (SSIFS) in Delhi runs a 9-month Induction Training Programme during which officers indicate language preferences, but the final CFL allotment is made by MEA's Administration Division based on aptitude (the in-house Modern Language Aptitude Test), cadre vacancies in MEA's 17-18 CFL pools, and the language strength the Foreign Service needs that year. Officers are then posted as Third Secretary (Language Trainee) to a mission where the language is spoken, with 1-2.5 years of immersive training and a mandatory proficiency exam before confirmation.