Ministry of External Affairs (India)The Ministry of External Affairs (abbreviated as MEA; ISO: Vidēśa Mantrālaya) is a ministry of the Government of India tasked with India's foreign policy and relations. The Ministry is headed by the Minister of External Affairs, a member of the Prime Minister's Cabinet. The Minister is typically assisted by one or more junior ministers, known as Ministers of State (MoS) for External Affairs.
Foreign Secretary (India)Foreign Secretary of India (ISO: Vidēś Saciv) is the topmost non-elected official and the administrative head of the Ministry of External Affairs. This post is held by an Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer of the rank of secretary to the government of India. Vikram Misri is the foreign secretary since July 2024, succeeding Vinay Mohan Kwatra.
Civil Services of IndiaIn India, the Civil Service is the collection of civil servants of the government who constitute the permanent executive branch of the country. This includes career officials in the All India Services, the Central Civil Services, and various State Civil Services. The civil service forms the basis of the Government, without which there is no administration. They act as the main channel to articulate people's needs and implement government policies on the ground.
Central Civil ServicesThe Central Civil Services (CCS) encompasses the various Civil Services of India that are exclusively under the jurisdiction of the Government of India. This is in contrast to the All India Services, which are common to both the central and state government entities, or the state civil services, which fall under the purview of individual states.
Diplomatic serviceDiplomatic service (or foreign service) is the body of diplomats and foreign policy officers maintained by the government of a country to communicate with the governments of other countries. Diplomatic personnel obtain diplomatic immunity when they are accredited to other countries. Diplomatic services are often part of the larger civil service and sometimes a constituent part of the foreign ministry.
Foreign relations of IndiaIndia, officially the Republic of India, has full diplomatic relations with 201 states, including Palestine, the Holy See, Niue and the Cook Islands. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) is the government agency responsible for the conduct of foreign relations of India.
List of diplomatic missions of IndiaThe Republic of India has one of the largest diplomatic networks, reflecting its links in the world and particularly in neighbouring regions: Central Asia, the Middle East, East Africa, Europe, Southeast Asia, and the rest of the Indian subcontinent. There are also far-flung missions in the Caribbean and the Pacific, locations of historical Indian diaspora communities.
President of IndiaThe president of India (ISO: Bhārata kē Rāṣṭrapati) is the head of state of the Republic of India. The president is the nominal head of the executive, the first citizen of the country, and the supreme commander of the Indian Armed Forces. Droupadi Murmu is the 15th and current president, having taken office on 25 July 2022. The office of president was created when India's constitution came into force and it became a republic on 26 January 1950.
Vikram MisriVikram Misri (born 7 November 1964) is an Indian diplomat of the Indian Foreign Service, currently serving as the 35th Foreign Secretary of India since July 2024. Previously, he served as the Deputy National Security Advisor of India from January 2022 until July 2024, and as the ambassador of India to China from January 2019 to December 2021.
Government of IndiaThe Government of India (Devanagari: भारत सरकार; IAST: Bhārata Sarakāra; legally, the Union Government, the Union of India or the Central Government) is the national authority of the Republic of India, established in accordance with the Constitution of India. As outlined in Part I, India is a "Union of States", a term often used interchangeably to refer to the "Union Government" or the Government of India, representing the central authority.
DiplomatA diplomat (from Ancient Greek: δίπλωμα, romanized: diploma) is a person appointed by a state, intergovernmental, or nongovernmental institution to conduct diplomacy with one or more other states or international organizations.
Consul (diplomacy)In diplomacy, a consul is an official representative of a government who resides in a foreign country to assist and protect citizens of the consul's country, and to promote and facilitate commercial and diplomatic relations between the two countries. A consul is generally part of a government's diplomatic corps or foreign service, and thus enjoys certain privileges and protections in the host state, albeit without full diplomatic immunity.*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.