List of Foreign Ministers of India

The Indian Ministry of External Affairs is the government agency in charge of the country's overseas affairs. In layman's terms, it is led by the Minister of External Affairs or a foreign minister. The foreign minister is also a member of the cabinet. The Foreign Secretary of India, an Indian Foreign Service officer, is in charge of administration. The Ministry is responsible for India's presence in the United Nations and other international organisations, as well as representing the Government of India through embassies. It also provides advice on foreign governments and institutions to other ministries and state governments.

(Image will be uploaded soon)

History of MEA:

The Ministry of External Affairs was originally called the Ministry of External Affairs and Commonwealth Relations at the time of its creation. It was established in 1948. Jawaharlal Nehru, an ex-Prime Minister of India, was in charge of the Ministry until his death. The 1887 Protection of Pilgrims Act and the Indian Pilgrim Shipping Rules (1933), as well as the administration of Tuensang Area's Naga Hills and the 1896 Mohammedan Pilgrims Act, are all within the Ministry's jurisdiction. The Ministry is the only controlling body for Indian Foreign Affairs.

A Detailed List of Foreign Ministers of India: 

The Ministry of External Affairs of India ranks among India's major ministries. The Indian External Affairs Minister plays a key role in determining India's foreign policy. The Foreign Minister is responsible for developing cordial relations with the rest of the world.

This ministry is usually given to the most senior or most experienced member of the Union Cabinet. The primary responsibility of the External Affairs Minister is to represent India on the international stage. The post of Foreign Minister of India has been held by 29 individuals. Smt. Indira Gandhi was India's first female foreign minister, serving from 1967 to 1969. This was an additional ministry, however. Sushma Swaraj, India's first female minister for external affairs, was a full-time woman.

Here is the list of foreign ministers of India who served from 1964 to the present day.

Terms of Foreign Ministers of India: 

Since the creation of MEA, not one of the foreign ministers of India has been able to finish their term. In 1946, just a few months after India gained independence from the British, the External Affairs Ministry was established. Jawahar Lal Nehru, the first Prime Minister, kept the portfolio until his death in 1964. In the 50 years since then, almost 30 Cabinet ministers have been elected to the MEA. However, none of the Cabinet ministers was able to serve their full term. Many were unable to retain the seat for political reasons.

Changes in ministers were a common occurrence under Indira Gandhi's Prime Ministership and Rajiv Gandhi. Ministers could be fired at any moment.  Since 1991, India has had 15 foreign affairs ministers. Only three of them - Pranab Mukherjee and Jaswant Sing - were able to serve more than three years. After his name was revealed in the Volcker scam, Natwar Singh (then Foreign Affairs minister) was forced to resign in 2005. The Congress high command unceremoniously fired SM Krishna in October 2012. His removal was not justified.

Salman Khurshid was his successor and was accused of NGO fraud. Although Khurshid was charged with misappropriating NGO funds, he was able to keep his job until the 2014 General Elections.

In the wake of the IPL franchise fraud in early 2010, Shashi Tharoor, Minister of State, had to resign from the ministry. E Ahamad was another Minister of State and was charged with a Haj scam. He was appointed minister of state for Railways in the first months of UPA-2. He was able to return to the MEA later.

P V Narasimha Rao, then Prime Minister, had three Foreign Affairs Ministers between 1991 and 1996. Indira Gandhi had five foreign ministers during her 15-year rule. Later, Rajiv Gandhi had six changes in his External Affairs ministers during his five-year tenure.

MEA's Initiative: Raisina Dialog:

The Raisina Dialogue, a multilateral conference, aims to address the most pressing issues facing the global community. The Ministry of External Affairs and the Observer Research Foundation are co-organizing the event.

Each year, New Delhi hosts global leaders in business, policy, media, and civil society to discuss cooperation on a range of relevant international policy issues. The Dialogue is multi-stakeholder and cross-sectoral. It includes heads of state, cabinet ministers, and local government officials, as well as key executives from the private sector, media members, and academics.

• The Raisina Dialogue has a global reputation that unites the most strategic thinkers from around the globe.

• The Raisina Dialogue's synergies, collaborations and international credibility represent India's deliberative ethos and its convening power.

• The Dialogue has grown with India's diplomatic profile. It will be the basis for India's intense diplomatic engagement every year.

Did you know?

The United Arab Emirates has the most Indians residing abroad, with 34,20,000 Indians accounting for around one-fourth of all Indians living abroad. Saudi Arabia (25,94,947), the United States (12,80,000), Kuwait (10,29,861), Oman (7,79,351), Qatar (7,56,062), Nepal (5,00,000), the United Kingdom (3,51,000), Singapore (3,50,000), and Bahrain are the next most populous countries (3,23,292).