India's foreign policy needs upgrades, says Parliament
Despite ๐ฎ๐ณ's growing strength, it's held back acc. to Asia Power Index
-5th in diplomatic network (behind S.KOR)
-5th in multilateral pwr (<Indonesia)
-9th in foreign policy (<Taiwan)
๐งตon 5 upgrades ๐ฎ๐ณ needs๐(1/11)
Despite ๐ฎ๐ณ's growing strength, it's held back acc. to Asia Power Index
-5th in diplomatic network (behind S.KOR)
-5th in multilateral pwr (<Indonesia)
-9th in foreign policy (<Taiwan)
๐งตon 5 upgrades ๐ฎ๐ณ needs๐(1/11)
(2/11)
Change 1: Double ๐ฎ๐ณ's diplomatic budget
Currently, MEA has a budget of 17,250 crore (just 0.44% of GDP)
That makes it one of ๐ฎ๐ณ's poorer Ministries
A/c to US General James Mattis: "if you don't fund the diplomatic service fully, buy me more ammo b'cuz I'll need it"
Change 1: Double ๐ฎ๐ณ's diplomatic budget
Currently, MEA has a budget of 17,250 crore (just 0.44% of GDP)
That makes it one of ๐ฎ๐ณ's poorer Ministries
A/c to US General James Mattis: "if you don't fund the diplomatic service fully, buy me more ammo b'cuz I'll need it"
(3/11)
Parliament's Standing Committee on External Affairs on MEA's budget: "we do not find such an allocation in consonance with the country's rising aspirations and growing global stature"
P'ment Recommendation: more than double MEA's budget to 1% of GDP (~39k crore rupees)๐
Parliament's Standing Committee on External Affairs on MEA's budget: "we do not find such an allocation in consonance with the country's rising aspirations and growing global stature"
P'ment Recommendation: more than double MEA's budget to 1% of GDP (~39k crore rupees)๐
(4/11)
Change 2: Expand ๐ฎ๐ณ's diplomatic footprint
P'ment Standing Committee: ๐ฎ๐ณ needs resident missions in every UN Member country
Currently, ๐ฎ๐ณ does not have missions in 48 UN members
Committee: this will maximise help ๐ฎ๐ณ's ambitions for UN Security Council permanent seat
Change 2: Expand ๐ฎ๐ณ's diplomatic footprint
P'ment Standing Committee: ๐ฎ๐ณ needs resident missions in every UN Member country
Currently, ๐ฎ๐ณ does not have missions in 48 UN members
Committee: this will maximise help ๐ฎ๐ณ's ambitions for UN Security Council permanent seat
(5/11)
๐ฎ๐ณ's diplomats have done a lot of work on this
Since 2018, ๐ฎ๐ณ has built missions in:
-14 African nations including Djibouti, Rwanda, Cameroon and Togo
- Central American states like Paraguay & Dominican Republic
-Smaller European states like Estonia and Lithuania
๐ฎ๐ณ's diplomats have done a lot of work on this
Since 2018, ๐ฎ๐ณ has built missions in:
-14 African nations including Djibouti, Rwanda, Cameroon and Togo
- Central American states like Paraguay & Dominican Republic
-Smaller European states like Estonia and Lithuania
(6/11)
Change 3: Formulate & publish a grand strategy document for ๐ฎ๐ณ
Standing Committee notes that 23 countries like US & Japan publish foreign policy strategies
Committee: "๐ฎ๐ณ as a rising power should publish an official foreign policy document in form of White Paper"
Change 3: Formulate & publish a grand strategy document for ๐ฎ๐ณ
Standing Committee notes that 23 countries like US & Japan publish foreign policy strategies
Committee: "๐ฎ๐ณ as a rising power should publish an official foreign policy document in form of White Paper"
(7/11)
๐ฎ๐ณ's diplomats disagree though. Here's why
- "a context specific approach is better
suited to meeting our..objectives than adhering to one overarching...foreign policy document.
-"No single overarching policy document can capture all aspects of Indiaโs foreign policy"
๐ฎ๐ณ's diplomats disagree though. Here's why
- "a context specific approach is better
suited to meeting our..objectives than adhering to one overarching...foreign policy document.
-"No single overarching policy document can capture all aspects of Indiaโs foreign policy"
(8/11)
-"A grand strategy or a single Foreign Policy document outlining foreign policy carries... risk of oversimplification of Indiaโs deeply historical and richly diverse statecraft"
Parliament has accepted the MEA's view so we're unlikely to see an ๐ฎ๐ณ grand strategy doc
-"A grand strategy or a single Foreign Policy document outlining foreign policy carries... risk of oversimplification of Indiaโs deeply historical and richly diverse statecraft"
Parliament has accepted the MEA's view so we're unlikely to see an ๐ฎ๐ณ grand strategy doc
(9/11)
Change 4: ๐ฎ๐ณ's soft power strategy is underfunded
I've written a larger thread on how ๐ฎ๐ณ's soft power strategy needs a revamp๐
Change 4: ๐ฎ๐ณ's soft power strategy is underfunded
I've written a larger thread on how ๐ฎ๐ณ's soft power strategy needs a revamp๐
(10/11)
Change 5: ๐ฎ๐ณ should absorb consultants into MEA
Why?
- Makes up for ๐ฎ๐ณ's short-staffed diplomatic service
- Provides MEA badly-needed specialists
Committee: "the MEA should consider absorption of specialist experts and also opening of career opps for senior experts"
Change 5: ๐ฎ๐ณ should absorb consultants into MEA
Why?
- Makes up for ๐ฎ๐ณ's short-staffed diplomatic service
- Provides MEA badly-needed specialists
Committee: "the MEA should consider absorption of specialist experts and also opening of career opps for senior experts"
(11/11)
For those looking to read the entire Parliamentary report and its recommendations๐
loksabhadocs.nic.in
If you want to understand the rankings in the first tweet, check out the Lowy Institute's Asia Power Index
For those looking to read the entire Parliamentary report and its recommendations๐
loksabhadocs.nic.in
If you want to understand the rankings in the first tweet, check out the Lowy Institute's Asia Power Index
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