Ministry
Ministry of External Affairs
The Ministry of External Affairs is the Government of India's department for the conduct of foreign relations — diplomacy, treaties, the diaspora, and representation abroad. It runs India's embassies and high commissions and is the lead agency for the country's borders diplomacy, multilateral engagement, and consular services.
Updated
- Formed
- 1948
- Headquarters
- South Block, New Delhi
- Diplomatic missions
- ~200 worldwide
- Cadre
- Indian Foreign Service (IFS)
Role
The MEA formulates and executes India’s foreign policy. It is headed politically by the Minister of External Affairs and administratively by the Foreign Secretary, and staffed by the Indian Foreign Service. Its territorial and functional divisions mirror India’s diplomatic priorities — from neighbourhood relations to the multilateral and economic-diplomacy desks.
Desk maintained by IndiaStand editorial cycles.
Timeline since 1947
- reference
Indian Foreign Service established
The diplomatic cadre that staffs the ministry was created on 9 October 1946.
- reference
Ministry of External Affairs constituted
Formed shortly after independence, initially handling both external affairs and Commonwealth relations.
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Overseas Citizen of India scheme launched at Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, Hyderabad
The OCI scheme, created by amending the Citizenship Act, 1955 in August 2005, was launched at the 2006 Pravasi Bharatiya Divas convention in Hyderabad; MEA records 40.68 lakh OCI registration cards issued as on 31 January 2022. The ministry states OCI is not to be construed as dual citizenship.
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Development Partnership Administration set up to run aid and Lines of Credit
MEA consolidated its development-assistance work into a Development Partnership Administration, now organised across DPA divisions covering capacity building and heritage conservation. The ministry states more than 260 Lines of Credit worth over US$26 billion have been extended to nearly 62 countries, with about US$4.17 billion of grant-in-aid projects under implementation.
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Operation Raahat evacuates Indians from Yemen
MEA coordinated the evacuation of roughly 4,640 Indian nationals from Yemen during the escalating conflict, one of a run of large consular evacuations the ministry ran in the period.
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Rs 1,005.99 crore sanctioned to implement the India-Bangladesh Land Boundary Agreement
Following the exchange of enclaves under the 1974 Indo-Bangladesh Land Boundary Agreement, the government sanctioned Rs 1,005.99 crore on 2 December 2015 for rehabilitation and infrastructure over 2015-16 to 2019-20 — Rs 898.50 crore for infrastructure creation and upgradation and Rs 107.49 crore for rehabilitation and pucca houses for Indian returnees. The fully centrally funded scheme is implemented by the West Bengal government.
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Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs merged into the Ministry of External Affairs
MOIA was merged into MEA on the stated rationale that most MOIA policies, programmes and schemes were already being implemented through MEA and Indian missions abroad, and that matters of Indian nationals abroad were already handled by them. The merged ministry absorbed the OCI card, Pravasi Bharatiya Bima Yojana, the Indian Community Welfare Fund and Pravasi Bharatiya Divas.
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Vaccine Maitri begins supplying Indian-made COVID-19 vaccines abroad
MEA began coordinating COVID-19 vaccine supply abroad from 20-21 January 2021, with the first consignments to Bangladesh. As on 15 June 2023 the ministry recorded 3,012.465 lakh doses supplied to 101 recipients — 151.270 lakh as grant, 2,340.925 lakh commercial and 520.270 lakh under COVAX.
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Operation Ganga evacuates Indians from Ukraine
MEA ran a large evacuation of Indian nationals, mostly students, from Ukraine after the Russian invasion, bringing back roughly 25,000 people — the largest of the ministry's recent consular operations.
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Operation Kaveri evacuates Indians from Sudan
MEA coordinated the evacuation of Indian nationals from conflict-hit Sudan, with roughly 3,897 brought back. A PIB release records that 117 of the 1,191 passengers who had arrived at that point were quarantined free of charge because they were not vaccinated against yellow fever, to be released after seven days if asymptomatic.
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G20 New Delhi Leaders Declaration adopted under India's G20 presidency
The G20 New Delhi Leaders Declaration was adopted at the summit hosted by India, the culmination of the year-long G20 presidency for which MEA carried the diplomatic negotiation load.
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MEA budget set at Rs 20,516.62 crore for 2025-26, with Bhutan the largest aid line
The ministry's Detailed Demands for Grants put the 2025-26 voted budget estimate at Rs 20,516.62 crore. Aid to Bhutan is the largest country line at Rs 1,775 crore, ahead of Nepal (Rs 700 crore), Maldives (Rs 600 crore), Myanmar (Rs 350 crore), African countries (Rs 225 crore) and Bangladesh (Rs 120 crore); the Central Passport Organisation is provided Rs 1,782.9 crore.
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Ministry's sanctioned strength stands at 13,288 posts, a quarter of them locally recruited abroad
The 2025-26 Detailed Demands for Grants show a grand total sanctioned strength of 13,288 posts, of which 3,421 are locally recruited staff in missions and posts abroad — the establishment through which roughly 200 diplomatic missions are run.
Frequently asked
- What is Ministry of External Affairs?
- The Ministry of External Affairs is the Government of India's department for the conduct of foreign relations — diplomacy, treaties, the diaspora, and representation abroad. It runs India's embassies and high commissions and is the lead agency for the country's borders diplomacy, multilateral engagement, and consular services.
- When was Ministry of External Affairs established?
- Ministry of External Affairs was established 1948.
- What does Ministry of External Affairs do?
- Its remit covers Bilateral and multilateral diplomacy, Treaties and international agreements, Passports, visas and consular services, Diaspora and overseas Indians, Development partnership and foreign aid.
- What is the latest on Ministry of External Affairs?
- As of 2026-07-02: Ministry's sanctioned strength stands at 13,288 posts, a quarter of them locally recruited abroad. The 2025-26 Detailed Demands for Grants show a grand total sanctioned strength of 13,288 posts, of which 3,421 are locally recruited staff in missions and posts abroad — the establishment through which roughly 200 diplomatic missions are run.
Official sources
The government's own pages for this institution — go straight to the primary.
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Canonical MEA home: bilateral relations, missions abroad, media centre, service portals.
www.mea.gov.in/
- MEA Annual Reports reports
Year-by-year archive of MEA annual reports produced by the Policy Planning and Research Division.
www.mea.gov.in/annualreports
- MEA Press Releases press
Ministry's own press-release archive (statements, joint statements, visit outcomes).
www.mea.gov.in/press-releases
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MEA's passport service portal run by the CPV Division; also publishes issuance statistics and circulars.
www.passportindia.gov.in/psp
- Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) department
Autonomous body under MEA handling cultural diplomacy, scholarships for foreign students and cultural centres abroad.
iccr.gov.in/home
- The Passports Act, 1967 (India Code) legislation
Bare act plus rules, notifications and amendments — the statute MEA administers for passports and travel documents.
www.indiacode.nic.in/handle/123456789/1372?view_type=browse
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