Parl panel headed by Tharoor recommends entry of NRIs in foreign service

The parliamentary standing committee on external affairs has urged the government to facilitate the entry of Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) into foreign service in order to expand the country’s diplomatic corps.

The panel also pulled up the ministry for being “completely silent” over its earlier recommendation of recruiting “eminent scholars” into foreign service and termed the MEA’S “reticence” “disturbing”.

The recommendation comes in the wake of the panel continuously expressing concern over “limited size” of India’s diplomatic corps.

The measures to increase the strength of diplomatic corps should be undertaken in a timebound manner, the panel headed by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor told the ministry of external affairs.

“The committee would like to emphasise that all-out efforts should be made to augment the numbers of the diplomatic corps by conducting regular cadre reviews, lateral entry and broadening the recruitment net such as through facilitating the entry of NRIs”, the committee said in a report.

In its reply to the panel, the external affairs ministry said it has revised the guidelines for the recruitment of consultants from academia and private sector on contract basis as per the existing government norms. The ministry added that it would continue to recruit people through deputation from other ministries, departments and the armed forces.

The strength of country’s diplomatic crops, including the feeder service, is estimated to be at 2,700.