New Delhi, Apr 7 (PTI) As many as 429 interns have worked in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) over the last five years, the government said in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, replying to a question, said while 372 interns have worked in the headquarters of the MEA between 2017 and 2021, 57 were posted at Indian missions abroad.
“The Ministry of External Affairs has been engaging interns for a decade, reflecting an intent to expand the foreign policy discourse in the country and tap into talent beyond the government,” he said.
Jaishankar said the MEA began implementing an internship programme in August 2011.
“Based on the initial experience, an internship policy was formulated in 2016. All internships offered by the ministry and its missions and posts abroad for the period 2016 -2020 were guided by this policy and were non-remunerative,” he said.
Jaishankar said a second comprehensive review was undertaken in 2021 to ensure more diverse and inclusive participation in internships.
“Accordingly, the ministry published the internship policy, 2021, in March 2021. The application and selection process was made fully online and logistical and the basic costs for the interns were provided by the government,” he said.
A pilot programme was conducted to test the efficacy of the new policy.
“In January 2022, based on further improvements, the MEA internship policy, 2022, was published that offers 75 internships for a period of one to three months,” he said. PTI MPB NSD NSD
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