Introduction
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) is a government agency in India which is responsible for maintaining the foreign relations of India. The MEA is headed by the Minister of External Affairs, a cabinet minister. The Foreign Secretary of India is the administrative head, an Indian Foreign Service officer. The Government of India is represented by the Ministry through embassies and is also responsible for India’s representation at the United Nations and other international organizations. The Ministry advises other Ministries and State Governments on foreign governments and institutions.
The functions of an Indian diplomat is as follows:
1. Representing India in its Embassies, High Commissions, Consulates, and Permanent Missions to multilateral organisations like the UN.
2. Protecting the national interests of India in the country of his/her posting.
3. Promoting friendly relations with the receiving state as also its people, including NRI / PIOs.
4. Reporting accurately on developments in the country of posting which are likely to influence the formulation of India ‘s policies.
5. Negotiating agreements with the authorities of the receiving state on various issues.
6. Extending consular facilities to foreigners and Indian nationals abroad.
Allocation of business to the Ministry of External Affairs
The following elements of work have been allocated to the Ministry of External Affairs under the Transaction of Official Business Rules of the Government of India, as amended from time to time:
1. External affairs.
2. Relations with foreign States and Commonwealth Countries.
3. Indian Council for Cultural Relations
4. All matters affecting foreign diplomatic and consular officers, U.N. officers and its specialised agencies in India.
5. Passports and visas.
6. Extradition of criminals and accused persons from India to foreign and Commonwealth countries and vice versa and general administration of the Extradition Act, 1962 (34 of 1962) and extra-territoriality.
7. Preventive detention in India for reasons of State connected with External and Commonwealth affairs.
8. Repatriation of the nationals of foreign and Commonwealth States from India and deport- ation and repatriation of Indian nationals of foreign and Commonwealth countries to India
9. Immigration to India from the Republic of South Africa or any other country to which the Reciprocity Act, 1943 (9 of 1943) may apply.
10. All Consular functions.
11. Travel arrangements for traders and pilgrims from India to Tibet region of China.
12. Scholarship to foreign students excluding scholarship to Non-Resident Indians (NRIs)/ Persons of Indian Origin (PIO) students for study in India under different schemes.
13. Political pensions paid to foreign refugees and descendants of those who rendered services abroad.
14. Ceremonial matters relating to foreign and Commonwealth Visitors and Diplomatic and Consular Representatives.
15. Matters in respect of Pondicherry, Goa, Daman and Diu, involving relations with France and Portugal.
16. Relations with States in special Treaty relations with India such as Bhutan.
17. Himalayan expeditions; permission to foreigners to travel to Protected Areas other than those with which the Ministry of Home Affairs is concerned.
18. United Nations, Specialised Agencies and other International Organisations and Conferences.
19. Indian Foreign Service.
20. Indian Foreign Service Branch ‘B’.
21. Foreign Service Training Institute.
22. External Publicity excluding such publicity concerning overseas Indians’ affairs.
23. Political treaties, agreements and conventions with foreign and Commonwealth countries.
24. (i) Pilgrimages to places outside India, including the administration of the Haj Committee Act, 1959 (51 of 1959) and the rules made there under and the Indian Pilgrim Ship Rules, 1933, and Pilgrim parties from India to Shrines in Pakistan and vice versa.
(ii) Protection and preservation of Non-Muslim shrines in Pakistan and Muslim shrines in India in terms of Pant-Mirza Agreement of 1955.
25. Abducted Persons (Recovery and Restoration).
26. Questions relating to minority communities in neighbouring Countries.
27. Recovery of advances granted to the evacuees from Burma, Malaya, etc., during the years 1942-47 and residual work relating to refugees given asylum in India during WorldWar II.
28. Notification regarding commencement or cessation of a state of war.
29. Foreign Jurisdiction.
30. Hospitality Grant of the Government of India.
31. Demarcation of the land frontiers of India.
32. Border raids and incidents on the land borders of India.
33. Diplomatic flight clearances for non-scheduled chartered flights of foreign, civil and military aircraft transiting India.
34. Matters relating to Law of the Sea, including the Indian Territorial Waters, Contiguous Zone, Continental Shelf and Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZ), questions of international law arising on the high seas including fishery rights; piracies and crimes committed on the High Seas or in the air; offences against the Law of Sovereign States committed on land or the High seas or in the air; legal matters concerning the International Seabed Area and Authority
35. Economic and technical assistance given by India to the Government of Nepal under the Colombo Plan for Co-operative Economic Development.
36 . Purchase, inspection and shipment of Stores from abroad for the Central Government other than those the purchase, inspection and shipment of which are delegated to other authorities by a general or special order.
37. All matters relating to grant of loans and credits to Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh.
38. Technical assistance given by India to African countries under the Special Commonwealth African Assistance Plan Programme.
39. Human Rights:
(i)Interaction with Human Rights Organisations abroad;
(ii)International declarations, treaties, conventions and conferences; references received from the United Nations and other specialised agencies and organisations thereof;
(iii)Implementation of reporting obligations, in coordination with the concerned Ministries, required under the United Nations and international conventions, to which India is a State party.
40. Indian Council of World Affairs.
Aishwarya Says:
I have always been against Glorifying Over Work and therefore, in the year 2021, I have decided to launch this campaign “Balancing Life”and talk about this wrong practice, that we have been following since last few years. I will be talking to and interviewing around 1 lakh people in the coming 2021 and publish their interview regarding their opinion on glamourising Over Work.
If you are interested in participating in the same, do let me know.
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We also have a Facebook Group Restarter Moms for Mothers or Women who would like to rejoin their careers post a career break or women who are enterpreneurs.
We are also running a series Inspirational Women from January 2021 to March 31,2021, featuring around 1000 stories about Indian Women, who changed the world. #choosetochallenge