MEA appoints consultants in a bid to take diplomacy global; revamps policy division

NEW DELHI: With an eye on implementing India’s growing global ambitions from maritime diplomacy to UN high table to forging defence partnerships and expanding share in global trade, the Ministry of External Affairs has embarked on a plan to augment its strength by appointing consultants and planning to set up a permanent cell to organize global summits and conferences.

MEA’s Policy Planning and Research (P,P & R) Division that has been revamped over the past ten months with inclusion of military officials has recently appointed two consultants from the world of academia and think-tanks. The total strength of the Division has now crossed 10 and the plan is to appoint two more consultants from similar background, people familiar with the developments indicated to ET.

This in a way is the first lateral entry into MEA as suggested in various quarters in the past. Officers from other central services and men in uniform serve on deputation in the Ministry. With the MEA also focusing on military diplomacy military officers are being deputed across divisions of the Ministry.

These consultants were appointed on contract for a stipulated period after public announcements for such vacancies followed by interviews of selected candidates, officials informed. The US State Department and Australian Foreign Ministry has been following a similar practice of hiring from the world of academia, think-tanks and media.
The P, P & R division is playing the role of an anchor aiming to develop seamless coordination among different divisions in the MEA for long term policy making vis-à-vis issues important to India and matters of global significance, prepare policy papers on key global issues of India’s interest besides coordinating among various Central Ministries for effective implementation of projects in partner countries. The division will also coordinate with its counterpart divisions in various other countries.

But it is not just P, P & R division that would have outsiders as consultants. Official sources indicated that other divisions of the Ministry that lack numerical strength to match growing ambitions may also have lateral entrants in future. An aspiring global power India has one of the lowest number of officer level diplomats numbering over 800 incommensurate with its ambitions. The Ministry has been hiring more diplomats over the past few years to augment its strength. Few old MEA officers have also been hired as contracts in certain divisions.

The MEA is also proposing to set up a Permanent Conference Secretariat, with India planning to host several global meets in coming years -- BRICS summit and Heart of Asia Conference on Afghanistan in 2016 and G-20 Summit in 2017. The need for permanent secretariat was felt in the backdrop of the mega Africa Summit last month that was India’s biggest diplomatic show since 1983 NAM and Commonwealth Summits. An Africa Secretariat had to be created under an Additional Secretary and several officers were drawn from other divisions and Indian missions abroad for the mega show that saw participation by over 40 Presidents, Vice Presidents and Prime Ministers from 54 African countries.

Meanwhile with several Indian diplomatic missions abroad lacking numerical strength the Ministry may also appoint locals in those countries to assist the Embassies and High Commissions in matters of hospitality and some management issues. Locals are currently hired in several Indian missions for jobs as translators, receptions and in visa sections.