New Delhi, March 18 -- A parliamentary panel has said the current Budget allocation to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) "does not adequately support" India's foreign policy priorities and international stature, and called for a substantial increase in it to ensure India can meet its diplomatic and development objectives effectively and assert its growing influence on the world stage.
The allocation in the Budget estimates (BE) 2025-26, at '20,516.61 Crores, represents a 7.39 per cent reduction from BE 2024-25 and an 18.83 per cent decrease compared to the revised estimates (RE) for 2024-25, it said. The 'Fifth Report of the Committee on External Affairs (2024-25) on Demands for Grants (2025-26)' of the panel, chaired by Congress MP S...