Biz trips must start at South Block
You will have to take permission from the ministry of external affairs before inviting any foreign delegation.
By Rajeev Jayaswal, |
NEW DELHI: The Cabinet Secretary has, in a written communication, instructed all agencies, including private concerns, to take the approval of the ministry of external affairs (MEA) before inviting any foreign delegation — whether political or business — to the country. All organisations have also been advised against directly entertaining any invitation for sending delegations to a foreign country.
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| MEA okay needed for delegate invitations for fairs & exhibitions • No organisation, including pvt concerns, can directly send delegates abroad • Ministries, departments will have to follow protocol while dealing with foreign agencies |
The directive is triggered by an increasing trend of foreign embassies and high commissions contacting civil servants directly in a breach of protocol. All ministries and departments have been directed to strictly follow protocol while dealing with foreign agencies, sources in the government said. It has been noticed that foreign missions in India are sending direct invites to bureaucrats for seminars or training programmes abroad. Non-adherence to the MEA instructions in this regard may also have security implications. The government has, therefore, asked its agencies to ‘strictly’ adhere to MEA instructions.
Instructions also stipulate prior permission of the MEA and home ministry before sending invitations to foreigners to visit India. “No invitations should be sent by a government, semi-government institution, organisation or local body in India to official or non-official delegations from foreign countries to visit India, nor it is desirable that private organisations do so... An invitation in the above context includes an invitation for participation in fairs and exhibitions,” the office memorandum said.
It also said that an organisation — government or private — should not accept any invitation to send an Indian delegation abroad without the “knowledge and consent” of the MEA. The advice has been justified on the ground that if MEA would not be informed in advance, it would not be able to render facilities (passports, etc) to the delegation in time.
The ministry has been advised that their officers should report even an unimportant matter when a foreign mission gets in touch with them, as there is always a chance that it (unimportant matter) could subsequently develop into an important issue.
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