India’s Rising Global Stature:
- India has gained prominence through consistent economic growth, political stability, and autonomous foreign policy.
- Successes include the G20 presidency, strategic autonomy during the Russia-Ukraine conflict, leadership in vaccine diplomacy, and advocacy for the Global South.
Relevance : GS 2(Governance)
Challenges Faced by the MEA:
- The MEA is understaffed, with around 850 Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officers for 193 embassies and consulates worldwide.
- The U.S. has 14,500, the U.K. 4,600, and Russia 4,500 foreign service officers, highlighting a significant gap.
- India’s current intake of 32-35 officers annually is insufficient to meet future needs, and it would take decades to reach an optimal workforce of 1,500 officers.
Recommendations for Improvement:
- Lateral Hiring: Absorb officers from other government services, including defense personnel and academics with international relations expertise.
- Internal Restructuring: Consolidate fragmented divisions to improve coordination, especially in regional affairs (e.g., India’s neighborhood countries).
- Improved Incentives for Domestic Postings: Enhance housing, medical, and educational support for officers stationed in India, and provide financial incentives to make domestic assignments more attractive.
Issues with Diplomatic Expertise:
- Language Skills: Officers’ language training often loses relevance due to frequent postings, which do not align with their linguistic expertise.
- Specialist Roles: The IFS must balance generalist and specialist roles, encouraging officers to specialize in areas like cybersecurity, space policy, and AI.
Technological Adaptation:
- The MEA must build capacity in emerging technologies and retain domain specialists to handle areas like cybersecurity and AI, which require technical expertise beyond the generalist role of IFS officers.
Positive Steps Taken:
- Establishment of divisions like Policy, Planning, and Research and the Centre for Contemporary China Studies signals the MEA’s efforts to adapt to global changes.
- The leadership of Dr. S. Jaishankar has fostered innovation, assertiveness, and alignment of foreign policy with India’s long-term goal of becoming a ‘Viksit Bharat’ (Developed India).
Looking Ahead:
- As India moves toward its 100 years of independence in 2047, the MEA must evolve its structure and strategy to support India’s growing global influence and ambitions.
