Lok Sabha Question No. 1682 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-12-16
Subject: Shortage of Employees in Indian Missions
Ministry: EXTERNAL AFFAIRS
Asked by: Sadashiv Kisan Lokhande

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No.1682 TO BE ANSWERED ON 16.12.2022

## SHORTAGE OF EMPLOYEES IN INDIAN MISSIONS

†1682.  SHRI SADASHIV KISAN LOKHANDE:

Will the Minister of EXTERNAL AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether there is an acute shortage of employees in Indian Missions Abroad;
- (b) If  so,  the  number  of  employees  appointed  in  High  Commissions located in various countries at present, country-wise;
- (c) whether the Government has taken any steps to provide adequate staff strength in Indian embassies/consulates in foreign countries; and
- (d) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS (SHRI V. MURALEEDHARAN)

(a) to (d) Ministry of External Affairs regularly reviews human resource requirement in Missions and Posts abroad. The Ministry accords highest priority  to  optimize the deployment of its human resources to fulfill its growing responsibilities through recruitment and cadre management of the Indian Foreign Service and  other cadres  of the Ministry  and deputation of officers from other Ministries and Departments. Vacancies in  Indian  Missions/Posts  abroad  are  regularly  reviewed  and  officers posted against these vacancies. Presently, the Indian diplomatic Missions and Posts abroad, have a strength of 2791 India-based officials and 2801  locally recruited staff. Details placed at Annexure-I

*****

| ANNEXURE-I              | ANNEXURE-I                   | ANNEXURE-I   |
|-------------------------|------------------------------|--------------|
| Country                 | India-based Officers & staff | Local Staff  |
| Algeria                 | 10                           | 11           |
| Angola                  | 9                            | 9            |
| Argentina               | 12                           | 11           |
| Armenia                 | 6                            | 7            |
| Australia               | 37                           | 53           |
| Austria                 | 14                           | 19           |
| Azerbaijan              | 7                            | 6            |
| Bahrain                 | 15                           | 24           |
| Bangladesh              | 136                          | 82           |
| Belarus                 | 7                            | 9            |
| Belgium                 | 29                           | 28           |
| Bhutan                  | 34                           | 20           |
| Botswana                | 8                            | 7            |
| Brazil                  | 21                           | 19           |
| Brunei Darussalam       | 7                            | 11           |
| Bulgaria                | 8                            | 6            |
| Burkina Faso            | 4                            | 5            |
| Cambodia                | 12                           | 9            |
| Cameroon                | 5                            | 5            |
| Canada                  | 52                           | 43           |
| Chad                    | 1                            | 0            |
| Chile                   | 9                            | 12           |
| China                   | 91                           | 68           |
| Colombia                | 8                            | 12           |
| Congo (DR Congo)        | 5                            | 12           |
| Cote d'Ivoire           | 5                            | 13           |
| Croatia                 | 7                            | 8            |
| Cuba                    | 9                            | 9            |
| Cyprus                  | 10                           | 7            |
| Czech Republic          | 14                           | 12           |
| Denmark                 | 12                           | 12           |
| Djibouti (Republic of)  | 7                            | 5            |
| Dominican Republic      | 5                            | 7            |
| Equitorial Guinea (Rep) | 2                            | 4            |

| Eritrea             | 5                  | 5                  |
|---------------------|--------------------|--------------------|
| Estonia             | 4                  | 7                  |
| Ethiopia            | 12                 | 18                 |
| Fiji                | 11                 | 5                  |
| Finland             | 9                  | 9                  |
| France              | 44                 | 59                 |
| Germany             | 53                 | 82                 |
| Ghana               | 11                 | 20                 |
| Greece              | 10                 | 13                 |
| Guatemala           | 7                  | 9                  |
| Guinea              | 4                  | 5                  |
| Guyana              | 8                  | 7                  |
| Hungary             | 11                 | 11                 |
| Iceland             | 4                  | 5                  |
| Indonesia           | 34                 | 57                 |
| Iran                | 39                 | 29                 |
| Iraq                | 23                 | 19                 |
| Ireland             | 11                 | 7                  |
| Israel              | 21                 | 15                 |
| Italy               | 32                 | 35                 |
| Jamaica             | 8                  | 9                  |
| Japan               | 37                 | 37                 |
| Jordan              | 11                 | 9                  |
| Kazakhstan          | 18                 | 18                 |
| Kenya               | 28                 | 29                 |
| Kingdom of Eswatini | 3                  | 5                  |
| North Korea         | Temporarily Closed | Temporarily Closed |
| South Korea         | 18                 | 17                 |
| Kuwait              | 29                 | 38                 |
| Kyrgyzstan          | 13                 | 8                  |
| Lao, PDR            | 8                  | 9                  |
| Lebanon             | 11                 | 11                 |
| Liberia             | 4                  | 5                  |
| Libya               | 0                  | 3                  |
| Madagascar          | 7                  | 12                 |
| Malawi              | 9                  | 13                 |
| Malaysia            | 21                 | 38                 |
| Maldives            | 21                 | 6                  |
| Mali                | 5                  | 7                  |
| Malta               | 12                 | 4                  |

| Mauritania (Republic)   |   3 |   5 |
|-------------------------|-----|-----|
| Mauritius               |  27 |  27 |
| Mexico                  |  15 |  13 |
| Mongolia                |   7 |  11 |
| Morocco                 |  11 |  12 |
| Mozambique              |  12 |  10 |
| Myanmar                 |  40 |  46 |
| Namibia                 |  10 |   8 |
| Nepal                   |  96 |  75 |
| Netherlands             |  18 |  16 |
| New Zealand             |  10 |   9 |
| Niger                   |   4 |   7 |
| Nigeria                 |  20 |  26 |
| Norway                  |  12 |  11 |
| Oman                    |  24 |  32 |
| Pakistan                |  45 |   3 |
| Palestine               |   3 |   3 |
| Panama                  |   9 |  10 |
| Papua New Guinea        |  10 |   5 |
| Paraguay                |   6 |   7 |
| Peru                    |   4 |  11 |
| Philippines             |  14 |  12 |
| Poland                  |  11 |  14 |
| Portugal                |   9 |   9 |
| Qatar                   |  19 |  27 |
| Republic of Congo       |   4 |   5 |
| Romania                 |  10 |  12 |
| Russian Federation      |  91 |  47 |
| Rwanda                  |   6 |   5 |
| Sao Tome and Principe   |   2 |   5 |
| Saudi Arabia            |  66 |  84 |
| Senegal                 |   6 |  14 |
| Serbia                  |   8 |  11 |
| Seychelles              |  11 |   7 |
| Sierra Leone            |   3 |   5 |
| Singapore               |  18 |  38 |
| Slovak Republic         |   4 |   6 |
| Slovenia                |   6 |   9 |
| South Africa            |  55 |  42 |
| South Sudan             |  10 |   8 |

| Spain                    |   22 |   19 |
|--------------------------|------|------|
| Sri Lanka                |   86 |  111 |
| Sudan                    |   12 |   19 |
| Suriname                 |   10 |    6 |
| Sweden                   |   13 |   14 |
| Switzerland              |   57 |   34 |
| Syria                    |    7 |   15 |
| Tajikistan               |   11 |   12 |
| Tanzania                 |   16 |   22 |
| Thailand                 |   33 |   32 |
| Togo (Republic)          |    3 |    5 |
| Trinidad and Tobago      |   13 |   12 |
| Tunisia                  |    9 |    9 |
| Turkey                   |   21 |   23 |
| Turkmenistan             |   11 |    8 |
| Uganda                   |   13 |   11 |
| Ukraine                  |   14 |   11 |
| United Arab Emirates     |   64 |   87 |
| United Kingdom           |  115 |  101 |
| United States of America |  183 |  178 |
| Uzbekistan               |   16 |   15 |
| Venezuela                |   10 |    8 |
| Vietnam                  |   24 |   26 |
| Yemen                    |    2 |    8 |
| Zambia                   |   13 |   10 |
| Zimbabwe                 |   12 |    9 |
| Total Human Resources    | 2791 | 2801 |