Ministry of External Affairs (India)
Encyclopedia
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) is the foreign ministry of India
. It is the Indian government
agency
responsible for the foreign relations of India
. The Minister of External Affairs holds cabinet
rank as a member of the Council of Ministers. The current minister is S M Krishna. The Ministry has a Minister of State
, Maharani Preneet Kaur.
The Minister of External Affairs oversees the Indian Foreign Service
, the foreign service
of India. Present Indian Foreign Secretary
is Ranjan Mathai
, IFS Officer.
The Ministry of External Affairs is headquartered at South Block of the Secretariat Building at Raisina Hill
, New Delhi
. It shares the building with the Ministry of Defence headquarters and the office of the Prime Minister
. Other External Affairs offices are housed in Akbar Bhavan, Shastri Bhavan, Patiala House, and the ISIL Building.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. It is the Indian government
Government of India
The Government of India, officially known as the Union Government, and also known as the Central Government, was established by the Constitution of India, and is the governing authority of the union of 28 states and seven union territories, collectively called the Republic of India...
agency
Government agency
A government or state agency is a permanent or semi-permanent organization in the machinery of government that is responsible for the oversight and administration of specific functions, such as an intelligence agency. There is a notable variety of agency types...
responsible for the foreign relations of India
Foreign relations of India
India has formal diplomatic relations with most nations, as the world's second most populous country and the world's most-populous democracy and recently has one of the fastest economic growth rates in the world...
. The Minister of External Affairs holds cabinet
Cabinet (government)
A Cabinet is a body of high ranking government officials, typically representing the executive branch. It can also sometimes be referred to as the Council of Ministers, an Executive Council, or an Executive Committee.- Overview :...
rank as a member of the Council of Ministers. The current minister is S M Krishna. The Ministry has a Minister of State
Minister of State
Minister of State is a title borne by politicians or officials in certain countries governed under a parliamentary system. In some countries a "minister of state" is a junior minister, who is assigned to assist a specific cabinet minister...
, Maharani Preneet Kaur.
The Minister of External Affairs oversees the Indian Foreign Service
Indian Foreign Service
The Indian Foreign Service is the foreign service of India. It is the body of career diplomats of India.The Indian Foreign Service is part of the Central Civil Services of the Government of India...
, the foreign service
Diplomatic service
Diplomatic service is the body of diplomats and foreign policy officers maintained by the government of a country to communicate with the governments of other countries. Diplomatic personnel enjoy diplomatic immunity when they are accredited to other countries...
of India. Present Indian Foreign Secretary
Indian Foreign Secretary
An Indian Foreign Secretary is the top diplomat for Indian Foreign Relations, who is appointed in the Ministry of External Affairs Office. Foreign Secretaries are experienced IFS officers, who are ambassadors to foreign nations....
is Ranjan Mathai
Ranjan Mathai
Ranjan Mathai is the current Indian Foreign Secretary. He assumed charge on August 1, 2011 with a two year term. Prior to this assignment, he served as the Indian Ambassador to France.-Early life:...
, IFS Officer.
The Ministry of External Affairs is headquartered at South Block of the Secretariat Building at Raisina Hill
Raisina Hill
Raisina Hill is an area of Lutyens' Delhi, New Delhi, housing India's most important government buildings, including Rashtrapati Bhavan, the official residence of the President of India and the Secretariat building housing the Prime Minister's Office and several other important ministries...
, New Delhi
New Delhi
New Delhi is the capital city of India. It serves as the centre of the Government of India and the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. New Delhi is situated within the metropolis of Delhi. It is one of the nine districts of Delhi Union Territory. The total area of the city is...
. It shares the building with the Ministry of Defence headquarters and the office of the Prime Minister
Prime Minister of India
The Prime Minister of India , as addressed to in the Constitution of India — Prime Minister for the Union, is the chief of government, head of the Council of Ministers and the leader of the majority party in parliament...
. Other External Affairs offices are housed in Akbar Bhavan, Shastri Bhavan, Patiala House, and the ISIL Building.