Ministry of External Affairs internship opportunities for UG students, Graduates, Research Scholars
Are you a graduate/research scholar/undergraduate interested to learn about the foreign policies of the Government of India? The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) is providing an opportunity for an internship at their Headquarters in India and at their Missions/Posts abroad. This article has the details of the internship program, eligibility criteria, application procedure and all other relevant details associated with the program.
About the internship with MEA
For the talented young individual, an internship with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) is an opportunity to get acquainted with the process of formulating the foreign policies and its implementation by the government. Selected interns have to work under the guidance of Head of Division (HOD) or Head of Mission (HOM) or Head of Post (HOP) in the headquarters of the ministry (MEA) or its Missions/Posts. The interns will be attached to any of the Divisions in the ministry and they will be briefed about the functioning as well as the organizational structure of the ministry. Interns engaged in the Indian Missions/Posts will be attached to any of the wings of the Missions/Posts. According to the requirements, the interns may carry out research, analyze any specific development concerning the foreign affairs of India, make reports and perform any other task deemed fit by the concerned Heads of their Division/Post/Mission. Divisions of MEA
For the progress of a country, bilateral relationship with its neighbours and also with other countries across the world is essential. The MEA has specific divisions that look after the relations of India with a particular country, a group of countries or a region. For example, AMS Division looks after the relationship with Canada and the USA. The BM Division looks after various matters regarding Bangladesh and Myanmar. Likewise, Central Europe Division looks after the relations with countries in Central Europe.
Many other divisions look after specific requirements in the ministry such as A & RM Division that manages records and archives, CPV Division that deals with legal documents like Passport, issuance of visas, the policy of extradition, etc. The Establishment Division looks after matters related to property, purchase of various equipment, allotting accommodation, etc. The various divisions of the Ministry of External Affairs are given below.
Each Division is under a Joint Secretary (JS) and the JS has a team of officers like Officer on Special Duty (OSD), Undersecretary (US) etc to manage the affairs of the Division.
The Head of Mission (HOM) is the diplomatic representative of a country posted abroad. The term for the HOM may vary from country to country. It may be the High Commissioner, Ambassador, Permanent Representative, etc. Indian nationals staying abroad can do the internship programs in the Foreign Mission office of India in the country they reside in. Benefits of the internship programs
The advantage of this internship program is an opportunity to interact with officers of IFS rank that helps aspirants of government services in a great way. The experience the interns gain by carrying out various tasks entrusted to them is an opportunity to learn things practically which is otherwise limited only to reading materials as a topic during their academic years. Since the MEA has many divisions and work in each division depends on the immediate requirement, applicants of any discipline can apply for the internship programs.
The Divisions are allotted to the interns based on their academic qualifications and experience of work in a specific field. For example, Postgraduate/Graduate in Law will be preferred in L & T [Legal & Treaties] Division. Whereas, applicants having a background and work experience in the field of Information Technology/Computer Science will be preferred in EG & IT [E-Governance & Information Technology] Division. Likewise, a Postgraduate in subjects related to Social Welfare will be preferred in the Welfare Division. Postgraduates/Graduates in Economics or related subjects will be preferred in Finance Division/ UNES [United Nations Economic & Social] Division depending on the requirement.Eligibility to apply
Only Indian citizens can apply for an internship in the MEA headquarters. If OCI card holders living outside the country wish to apply for the internship program, they can apply to the concerned Indian Mission/Posts of the respective country where they are staying.
Duration of internship
The duration of the internship can vary from 1 month to 6 months. Interns doing their internship in MEA Headquarters may get an extension in some exceptional circumstances depending upon the situation which will be decided by the concerned authorities. Recognition of internship
Depending upon the recommendations by the Head of Division (HOD)/Head of Mission (HOM)/Head of Post (HOP) the certificate will be issued to the interns by the respective Heads. Support to the interns
This internship is unpaid. Interns need to work inside the premises of MEA Headquarters/Missions/Posts only. Based on the requirement of the work carried out by the interns, logistics will be provided to them. This internship should not be considered as an assurance of future engagement with MEA in terms of employment. Application procedure
Interested applicants may apply throughout the year. The procedure to apply for the internship is given below.
The above documents along with the Application form have to be sent to the headquarters of MEA four months before the start of the internship program through registered/speed post to the following address:
Ministry of External Affairs
Room No.149 A, South Block
New Delhi – 110011
Before sending the documents by post, applicants may send all the documents and the application form through email to jsad@mea.gov.in and usfsp@mea.gov.in.
Applicants residing outside holding OCI cards will have to send their application to the Head of Chancery at the respective official address of the Mission/Posts. Selection procedure
A Selection Committee of the Ministry will verify all the applications and the selected candidates will be informed accordingly. Interaction with the applicant may be carried out by the committee where they can also verify the submitted documents with the original ones. To select the interns, the decision of the Selection Committee is final and they will not consider queries after the process of selection is completed. Points to remember
Contact information
Joint Secretary (Administration)
Ministry of External Affairs
Room No.149 A, South Block
New Delhi – 110011
Website: https://www.mea.gov.in/
Internship Program and Application form link: https://www.mea.gov.in/internship-in-mea.htm
Email address for any queries: usfsp@mea.gov.in, jsad@mea.gov.in and queries should be addressed to Under Secretary (FSP)
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