How a four-minister MEA could amplify India’s diplomatic power?

Source: Livemint

Relevance: Impact of recent MEA expansion on India’s diplomatic strength

Synopsis: The ministry’s expansion signals an intent to ramp up our global profile and gain greater influence.

Introduction:

• Recently cabinet expansion added two new ministers of state to join the ministry of external affairs (MEA).
• The MEA now has a record total of four ministers catering to India’s foreign relations.
• Only the ministries of home affairs, education and social justice have a similar strength of four ministers each.
• Four ministers manning ‘Team MEA’ is a historic development.

Significance of the move:

• Firstly, in India’s competitive governmental environment, the wisdom of committing more resources to external affairs is often under-appreciated.
• Secondly, the link between domestic and foreign interests has convinced India’s public about the utility of external commitments.
  • It is a clear demonstration of the high priority to foreign policy and international engagement.
  • A failure to grasp the benefits that accrue from investing in external relations had in the past held back the rise of our country.
• Thirdly, it will enable India to show a high-level presence in key parts of the world on a sustained basis.
  • In diplomacy, partner nations respect a country when its interlocutors are of a certain standing in protocol and hierarchy.
• Fourth, due to the paucity of political emissaries of a certain stature, India often has to make do with representation by bureaucrats in gatherings of the United Nations’ agencies, the World Trade Organization, the G20, and several regional and sub-regional groupings.
  • While bureaucrats do the essential nitty-gritty work.
  • But there is no better way to emphasize India’s international leadership than to have a minister at a marquee podium speak about politically sensitive issues.
  • Hence, the symbolic multiplier effects of the four ministers cannot be underestimated. India will come across globally as prepared to lead on big issues.
• Fifth, it will ensure broader leadership oversight of our foreign policy towards particular regions and management of Indian projects abroad.
  • For example, building plurilateral connectivity corridors and enhancing strategic coordination with partner countries through innovative ideas.
• Lastly, ministerial expansion is only one way to beef up the MEA.
  • For 2021-22, the MEA got barely 0.52% of the central government’s overall budget.
  • The Parliamentary Standing Committee observed that the allocation is inadequate.

Way forward:

• The size of the of Indian Foreign Service (IFS) cadre must be considerably enhanced.
• Initiating short-term contractual appointments of experts under ministers so that India has sufficient personnel and supplementary diplomatic amplifiers to befit a ‘leading power’ in the world.

The MEA should bring in further reforms so that India could one day match China and the US in global presence and impact.