Lok Sabha Question No. 1993 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-03-09
Subject: Merger of Ministries
Ministry: EXTERNAL AFFAIRS
Asked by: N.K. PREMACHANDRAN, RAMACHANDRAN MULLAPPALLY, SHASHI THAROOR, BAIJAYANT "JAY" PANDA

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1993

TO BE ANSWERED ON 09.03.2016

## MERGER OF MINISTRIES

1993.

SHRI N.K. PREMACHANDRAN: SHRI MULLAPPALLY RAMACHANDRAN: DR. SHASHI THAROOR: SHRI BAIJAYANT JAY PANDA:

Will the Minister of EXTERNAL AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  the  Ministry  of  Overseas  Indian  Affairs  has  been merged with the Ministry of External Affairs;
- (b) if so, the details thereof and the reasons therefor;
- (c) the  objectives  behind  setting  up  of  the  Ministry  of  Overseas Indian Affairs;
- (d) whether  the  Ministry  has  not  succeeded  in  attaining  these objectives and if so, the reasons therefor; and
- (e)     whether the Government has received any representation from the State Governments regarding the said decision and if so, the details thereof and the response of the Union Government in this regard?

## ANSWER

THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS [GEN. (DR) V. K. SINGH (RETD)]

- (a) Yes.
- (b) The  Ministry  of  Overseas  Indian  Affairs  (MOIA)  has  been merged with the  Ministry  of  External  Affairs  (MEA).  Administrative arrangements of the merger are currently underway.

A  decision  was  taken  to  merge  the  two  Ministries  to  bring better synergy for realising the objectives of bringing Indian

Diaspora closer to India. Most policies, programmes, schemes and initiatives of MOIA were being implemented through MEA and Indian Missions/Consulates abroad. Matters pertaining to Indian  nationals abroad, their welfare and protection are also taken up by MEA and the  Indian  Missions  abroad.  MEA  handling  the  Overseas  Indian Affairs would bring in more efficiency in handling matters related to Indian Diaspora. The  merger is also in accordance  with  the Government's  objective  of  maximum  governance  with  minimum government.

(c)    The  Ministry  of  Overseas  Indian  Affairs  was  entrusted  all matters relating to overseas Indians, comprising Persons of Indian Origin  (PIOs)  and  Non-Resident  Indians  (NRIs),  excluding  matters specifically allotted to other Departments.

(d)        MOIA  had  been  handling  issues  described  in  part  (c)  since 2004.  However,  the  policies,  programmes  and  initiatives,  schemes of  MOIA  could  not  be  implemented  efficiently,  due  to  MOIA's dependence on MEA and Indian Missions abroad, and duplication in the functions of the two Ministries. MOIA was also a   small Ministry which  did  not  have  the  institutional  mechanisms  to  attain  the objectives that it was set up for.

(e)     Yes. One representation was received from the Government of Kerala about the decision to merge MOIA with MEA.  Our response to  the  Kerala  State  Government stated that the decision to merge the two Ministries was taken to further deepen our engagement with our  Diaspora,  to  synergize  our  resources  and  to  enhance  the efficiency  with  which  we  address  issues  pertaining  to  the  Indian

Community abroad.

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