In a unique and pioneering effort, the ministry of external affairs reached out to the non-English speaking audience to explain various facets of Indian foreign policy through a Hindi news channel on Saturday.
Among those involved in the exercise called “Foreign Policy Classroom” was external affairs minister Salman Khurshid, foreign secretary Ranjan Mathai apart from senior officials of the ministry.
In the programme lasting three-and-a-half hours, officials from the MEA discussed not just foreign policy issues but also the public services of the ministry. They also provided a peek into the making of India’s diplomats as well the plans for the expansion of the diplomatic establishment.
While Mr Khurshid, fluent in chaste Hindi, held forth at length on the challenges that confront India, other senior diplomats, including Mr Mathai, chipped in with their inputs in “Hinglish” as they explained the nuances of India’s relations with the US, Russia, China and the neighbours as well as the challenges of economic diplomacy.
The innovative public diplomacy effort to explain all aspects of the working of India’s foreign office was in six 30-minute segments during which senior Indian diplomats candidly and publicly responded to all questions directed at them on such a platform.