The foreign secretary of India (

IAST The International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration (IAST) is a transliteration scheme that allows the lossless romanisation of Indic scripts as employed by Sanskrit and related Indic languages. It is based on a scheme that emerged during ...

: ''Videśa Saciva'') is the top diplomat of India and administrative head of the Ministry of External Affairs. This post is held by an Indian foreign service officer of the rank of secretary to the government of India.

Vinay Mohan Kwatra Vinay Mohan Kwatra is an Indian diplomat of IFS cadre serving as the 34th and the current Foreign Secretary of India since May 2022, succeeding Harsh Vardhan Shringla. Previously, he has served as the Ambassador of India to France and Nepal. ...

is an Indian diplomat and currently serving as the Foreign Secretary of India from May 2022, succeeding

Harsh Vardhan Shringla Harsh Vardhan Shringla (born 1962) is Chief Coordinator for India’s G20 Presidency in 2023. He has previously served as Foreign Secretary of India, Ambassador to USA, High Commissioner to Bangladesh and Ambassador to Thailand.

. As an officer of the rank of secretary to the government of India, the foreign secretary ranks 23rd on the Indian Order of Precedence. However, unlike other secretaries to the government of India, the foreign secretary is also the top diplomat of the country and heads the 'Foreign Service Board'.

Powers, responsibilities and postings

The foreign secretary is the administrative head of the Ministry of External Affairs, and is the principal adviser to the

minister of external affairs In many countries, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is the government department responsible for the state's diplomacy, bilateral, and multilateral relations affairs as well as for providing support for a country's citizens who are abroad. The entit ...

on all matters of policy and administration within the External Affairs Ministry. The role of the foreign secretary is as follows: * To act as the administrative head of the Ministry of External Affairs. The responsibility in this regard is complete and undivided. * To act as the chief adviser to the

Minister of External Affairs In many countries, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is the government department responsible for the state's diplomacy, bilateral, and multilateral relations affairs as well as for providing support for a country's citizens who are abroad. The entit ...

on all aspects of policy and administrative affairs. * To represent the Ministry of External Affairs before the Public Accounts Committee of the Parliament of India. * Recommends postings of officers under the Ministry of External Affairs of the rank of secretary,

additional secretary Additional Secretary (often abbreviated as AS, GoI or Union Additional Secretary or Additional Secretary to Government of India) is a post and a rank under the Central Staffing Scheme of the Government of India. The authority for creation of thi ...

and joint secretary to the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC). * To act as the '' first among equals'' among the Secretaries in the Ministry of External Affairs.

Emolument, accommodation and perquisites

The foreign secretary is eligible for a Diplomatic passport. The official earmarked residence of the union foreign secretary is 3, Circular Road, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi.

List of foreign secretaries

References

External links

Ministry of External Affairs, Official website

Indian Foreign Secretaries Listing

{{Union ministries of India Indian diplomats Indian Foreign Secretaries

Powers, responsibilities and postings

Emolument, accommodation and perquisites

List of foreign secretaries

See also

References

External links