The PMO has hijacked the mandated functions of the MEA leaving its career diplomats marginalized and de-motivated. It does not auger well for the IFS fraternity.
One wonders how was an IFS officer promoted as Foreign Secretary after superseding several officers and then reappointed as National Security Advisor (on retirement) despite the drafting fiasco at Sharm-el-Sheikh. The appointment of Brajesh Mishra (1952 vintage of IFS)as the NSA in 1998 did not raise the eye brow in the fraternity. There were, however, muted reactions to the appointment of an IPS officer and then an IFS officer of a junior batch as the NSA. Their strength was their perceived proximity to the PM. The level of frustration is writ large on the faces of MEA’s mandarins
The “Personality factor” counts a lot in relation between the PMO and MEA. Why was Pranab Mukherjee not made India’s foreign minister, one wonders ? That would have diluted PMO’s importance. The suave S M Krishna, however, does not mind playing a second fiddle to the PMO. Unfortunately, he cannot open his mouth without putting his foot into it. The grapevine has it that the PMO does not keep the MEA in the loop on important foreign policy matters.
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