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Ministry of External Affairs (India)

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For list of ministers, see Minister of External Affairs (India).

Ministry of External Affairs of the Republic of India
Branch of Government of India
Ministry of External Affairs of the Republic of India

South Block, Secretariat Building, New Delhi
Ministry overview
FormedSeptember 1946
JurisdictionGovernment of the Republic of India
HeadquartersSouth Block, Secretariat Building, Raisina Hill, New Delhi, Delhi, India
Employees5400 (approx) estimated (Jan 2025)
IFS (A): 1,011[1]
IFS (B): 4,297
Annual budget₹20,516.61 crore (US$2.4 billion)
(FY 2025–26 est.)[2]
Minister responsible
Deputy Ministers responsible
Ministry executives
Websitemea.gov.in

The Ministry of External Affairs (abbreviated as MEA; ISO: Vidēśa Mantrālaya[a]) is India's foreign ministry. The ministry is tasked with formulating and implementing India's foreign policy and representing India on the global stage. The Ministry is headed by the Minister of External Affairs, a member of the Prime Minister's Cabinet. The Minister is typically assisted by one or more junior ministers, known as Ministers of State (MoS) for External Affairs. The Foreign Secretary of the Republic of India is the senior-most non-elected official and the administrative head of the ministry.

The Ministry of External Affairs operates more than 200 diplomatic missions around the world through which it represents the Government of India on the international stage. In addition, the Ministry is responsible for India's representation at the United Nations and other international organizations. The Ministry is also responsible for the repatriation of Indian citizens in danger abroad and in the extradition of fugitives who have fled India. The Ministry of External Affairs may also advise other ministries and state governments in their interactions with foreign entities and brief them on pertinent international developments.

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs, consisting of elected members from both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, is tasked with this ministry's legislative oversight.

History

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The Ministry was initially the Ministry of External Affairs and Commonwealth Relations, a holdover from the British Raj. It was renamed the Ministry of External Affairs in 1948.[4] Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru held the portfolio as an additional charge till his death in 1964 and it was only then that a separate Minister with Cabinet rank was appointed. The ministry is responsible for the administration of Naga Hills, Tuensang Area, the Emigration Act of 1983, the Reciprocity Act of 1943, the Port Haj Committee Act of 1932, the Indian Merchant Shipping Act in so far as it relates to pilgrim ships, the Indian Pilgrim Shipping Rules of 1933, the Protection of Pilgrims Act of 1887 (Bombay) and the Protection of the Mohammedan Pilgrims Act of 1896 (Bengal).

The Ministry was integrated with Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs on 7 January 2016.[5] The government said that the decision was taken in line with government's "overall objective of minimizing government and maximizing governance" and that it will help the government address duplication as well as unnecessary delays.[6]

The Ministry is the cadre-controlling authority of the Indian Foreign Service; the service is wholly under the administration and supervision of the External Affairs Ministry.

Organizational structure

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The Ministry of External Affairs is headed by the Minister of External Affairs (or simply, the Foreign Minister; in Hindi: Videsh Mantri).The Foreign Secretary is the most senior civil servant who is the head of the Department of Foreign Affairs,[7] and is supported by other secretary level officers.

Development Partnership Administration

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Development Partnership Administration (DPA) is an agency under the Ministry of External Affairs formed in 2013 to increase its strategic footprint and for the effective execution of projects with professionals from diverse backgrounds. India has an elaborate project portfolio in its neighbourhood, including Bhutan, Nepal, Afghanistan, Maldives, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh, as well as Africa and Latin America. It is headed by Sujata Mehta, one of India's foremost diplomats and former Indian representative to the UN Conference on Disarmament, Geneva. Mehta is Special Secretary in the MEA.[10][11] According to OECD estimates, 2019 official development assistance from India increased to US$1.6 billion.[12]

India Perspectives

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India Perspectives[13] is the flagship publication of the Ministry of External Affairs. A bi-monthly magazine, it is digitally published in English and Hindi, and 14 other international languages, with a readership spanning 170 countries. It is crafted to support the Ministry's diplomatic initiatives and highlight India's bilateral ties with the rest of the world.

The magazine provides an insight into India's culture and tradition along with elements of contemporary India. With intelligent, analytical and verified editorial content, the publication is one of the most authentic sources of information regarding India's ‘soft diplomacy’ initiatives as well as its rich cultural, scientific and political heritage. By showcasing the country's various facets through original stories on travel, art, music, cinema and more, the magazine takes India to the world.

Location

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The office of the Ministry is located in the South Block building which also contains the Prime Minister's office and Ministry of Defence. Other offices are located in Jawaharlal Nehru Bhawan, Shastri Bhawan, Patiala House, and ISIL Building.[14]

Parliamentary Standing Committee

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Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs is mandated with the task of the legislative oversight of the Ministry of External Affairs.[15]

Under Strength

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In March 2023, the committee in its Demand for Grants (2023–24) report, criticized the ministry for being "most short-staffed" and under-budgeted. The committee highlighted that The total strength of 4,888 is distributed across different cadres of the Ministry such as the Indian Foreign Service (IFS), IFS General Cadre, IFS Group B, Stenographers Cadre, Interpreters Cadre, Legal and Treaties Cadre, among others. The cadre strength of Indian Foreign Service Officers is only 1,011, just 22.5 percent of the total strength. Out of IFS 'A' cadre, 667 are posted at the Missions abroad and 334 are manning the headquarters in Delhi, which currently has 57 divisions.[16] The committee also highlighted that the ministry “remains one amongst the least funded central ministries” as its actual annual spending has been around 0.4% of the total budgetary allocation of the government since 2020–21.[1]

List of operations by the Ministry of External Affairs (India)

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This is a list of major operations carried out by the Ministry of External Affairs (India).

Year Operation Region Description References
1990 1990 airlift of Indians from Kuwait  Kuwait Evacuation of over 170,000 Indians during the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait & Gulf War, one of the largest civilian evacuations in history. [17]
2015 Operation Raahat  Yemen Evacuation of ~4,640 Indians and 960 foreign nationals during the Yemen civil war. [18][19]
2015 Operation Maitri    Nepal Earthquake relief operation evacuating ~43,000 Indians, over 150 foreign tourist were evacuated and were provided transit visa to as many as 785 foreigners [20][21]
2018 Operation Samudra Maitri  Indonesia Disaster relief operation post-Sulawesi earthquake and tsunami. [22]
2021 Operation Devi Shakti  Afghanistan Evacuation of 800 Indian nationals and minorities after Taliban takeover. [23][24]
2022 Operation Ganga  Ukraine Evacuation of ~25,000 Indian nationals & 147 citizens of 18 other countries were evacuated during Russia–Ukraine war. [25][26]
2023 Operation Kaveri  Sudan Evacuation of ~3,897 Indians during Sudan crisis. [27][28]
2023 Operation Ajay  Israel Evacuation of 1,400 Indian nationals during Israel–Hamas war. [29][30]
2025 Operation Brahma  Myanmar Relief mission after Myanmar earthquake; 625 MT aid, NDRF, IAF deployed. [31][32]
2025 Operation Sindhu  Iran Evacuation of 110 Indian students amid Iran–Israel War. [33][34]

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ विदेश-मन्त्रालय

References

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  1. ^ a b "Parliamentary panel for ramping up manpower and funding for MEA". Hindustan Times. 21 March 2023. Retrieved 8 April 2023.
  2. ^ "MEA Budget for FY 2025-26" (PDF). indiabudget.gov.in. Retrieved 31 January 2025.
  3. ^ "MEA | About MEA : Profiles : Secretary (ER)". Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India.
  4. ^ "REPORT OF THE Ministry of External Affairs 1949-50" (PDF). Government of India. Retrieved 10 October 2012.
  5. ^ Sushma Swaraj [@SushmaSwaraj] (7 January 2016). "Hon'ble Prime Minister has kindly accepted my proposal. So MOIA will now be part of Ministry of External Affairs" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  6. ^ "Government to merge overseas Indian affairs ministry with MEA - Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 25 January 2018.
  7. ^ "Organogram of the Ministry of External Affairs" (PDF). Ministry of External Affairs. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 February 2012. Retrieved 27 November 2023.
  8. ^ "Secretaries, Ministry of External Affairs". Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India. Retrieved 31 July 2020.
  9. ^ "Dammu Ravi (IFS) appointed as Secretary (Economic Relations) in the MEA". psuwatch.com. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  10. ^ "Devyani likely to head MEA's overseas projects department". The Indian Express. 20 January 2014.
  11. ^ "Organogram of Ministry of External Affairs" (PDF). Government of India. Retrieved 19 January 2014.
  12. ^ "India | Development Co-operation Profiles – India | OECD iLibrary".
  13. ^ India Perspectives homepage
  14. ^ About MEA : South Block. MEA (2014-03-19). Retrieved on 2014-05-21.
  15. ^ "Committee on External Affairs : Loksabha". loksabhaph.nic.in. Retrieved 20 January 2022.
  16. ^ "'Indian diplomatic service most short-staffed compared to many other countries': Parliamentary panel". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 8 April 2023.
  17. ^ "Real Story: Kuwait Airlift, 1990". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 29 June 2017. Retrieved 19 February 2017.
  18. ^ "Operation Raahat: Evacuation from Yemen". Ministry of External Affairs. 12 April 2015. Retrieved 20 June 2025.
  19. ^ "India begins evacuating citizens". The Hindu. 31 March 2015. Archived from the original on 6 December 2019. Retrieved 31 March 2015.
  20. ^ "India extends massive relief assistance to Nepal". Ministry of External Affairs. 27 April 2015. Retrieved 20 June 2025.
  21. ^ "Nepal quake: India launches 'Operation Maitri', airlifts many". hindustantimes.com/. Archived from the original on 26 April 2015. Retrieved 27 April 2015.
  22. ^ Operation Samudra Maitri: India's Assistance to Earthquake and Tsunami affected areas in Indonesia Ministry of External Affairs, India 3 October 2018
  23. ^ Goyal, Divya (21 August 2021). "Taliban stop 72 Afghan Sikhs and Hindus from boarding IAF plane". The Indian Express. Retrieved 21 August 2021.
  24. ^ Saha, Poulomi. "Taliban want resumption of flights between India and Afghanistan, write to DGCA | Exclusive". India Today. Retrieved 29 September 2021.
  25. ^ "Operation Ganga: Air India's second flight carrying 250 Indian evacuees from Ukraine lands in Delhi". Firstpost. Press Trust of India. 27 February 2022. Retrieved 27 February 2022.
  26. ^ "Operation Ganga a massive success: India rescues Pakistanis, Nepalis & Bangladeshis". NewsX. 9 March 2022. Retrieved 9 March 2022.
  27. ^ "India launches Operation Kaveri to evacuate its nationals from Sudan". Deccan Herald. 24 April 2023. Archived from the original on 24 April 2023. Retrieved 24 April 2023.
  28. ^ Bhattacherjee, Kallol (24 April 2023). "India launches Operation Kaveri to evacuate stranded citizens from war-hit Sudan". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 24 April 2023. Retrieved 24 April 2023.
  29. ^ "Operation Ajay | First flight to bring 230 Indians from war-hit Israel on Oct 13". Deccan Herald. Archived from the original on 22 October 2023. Retrieved 13 October 2023.
  30. ^ Livemint (15 October 2023). "Operation Ajay: More Indian nationals return from Israel amid conflict". www.livemint.com. Archived from the original on 21 October 2023. Retrieved 22 October 2023.
  31. ^ "Operation Brahma: India airlifts aid, deploys rescuers, medics to quake-hit Myanmar". India Today. 29 March 2025.
  32. ^ "India Launches "Operation Brahma" To Assist Quake-Hit Myanmar". NDTV. Retrieved 29 March 2025.
  33. ^ "India launches 'Operation Sindhu' as it evacuates Indian students stranded in Iran". Hindustan Times. 18 June 2025.
  34. ^ "India Launches 'Operation Sindhu' To Rescue Stranded Citizens From War-Hit Iran". News18. Retrieved 18 June 2025.
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