MEA Reminds States of their Jurisdiction in Foreign Affairs

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) emphasized that state governments should not exceed their constitutional jurisdiction in matters of foreign affairs. This statement came in response to the Kerala government assigning a senior official for 'external cooperation.' The MEA clarified that foreign affairs are solely under the Union Government's purview.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) issued a reminder to state governments regarding their jurisdiction limitations in matters of foreign affairs. This announcement followed the Kerala government's recent move to assign a senior official for 'external cooperation'.

MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal clarified that the Constitution of India, under the 7th Schedule, states that foreign affairs fall exclusively under the Union Government's domain.

Jaiswal reiterated that foreign affairs is neither a concurrent nor a state subject, emphasizing that state governments should refrain from overstepping their constitutional boundaries.