Shashi Tharoor reappointed as head of External Affairs panel
New Delhi: Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor will continue as the Chairperson of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs. The Parliamentary Committee on External Affairs has been reconstituted with effect from September 26.
A senior Congress MP and former Minister of State for External Affairs, Tharoor, has wide experience in diplomacy, including his time at the United Nations. His leadership is expected to guide the committee as India deals with a changing global environment, say officials.
Tasked with examining matters related to India’s foreign policy, diplomacy, and external engagements, the panel consists of 20 members from the Lok Sabha and 10 from the Rajya Sabha. One Lok Sabha seat is currently vacant.
From the Lok Sabha, the members include prominent leaders such as D. K. Aruna, Abhishek Banerjee, Vijay Baghel, Arun Govil, Deepender Singh Hooda, Naveen Jindal, Asaduddin Owaisi, Pradeep Kumar Panigrahy, Ravi Shankar Prasad, Aparajita Sarangi, Arvind Ganpat Sawant, Bansuri Swaraj, and Praniti Sushilkumar Shinde, among others. The representation spans across parties and states. This indicates a balanced and inclusive approach to external affairs oversight.
From the Rajya Sabha, the committee includes John Brittas, Raghav Chadha, Sagarika Ghose, K. Laxman, Rajeev Shukla, Sudhanshu Trivedi, and others. The committee plays a crucial advisory role in India’s foreign relations, examining the policies and functioning of the Ministry of External Affairs and related bodies. It reviews bilateral and multilateral ties, international treaties, and issues concerning the Indian diaspora.
Tharoor’s reappointment has drawn attention from diplomatic and political circles alike, with many expecting the committee to adopt a proactive stance on issues ranging from regional security and border diplomacy to India’s role in global climate negotiations and multilateral forums like the UN, G20, and BRICS.
The new committee formation comes at a time when India’s global presence is expanding, and Parliament’s role in guiding foreign policy is gaining more importance than ever.