India’s foreign policy is often characterised as an executive preserve. Decision-making in this domain is concentrated within the South Block, shaped by a small circle of policymakers and diplomats, with limited parliamentary engagement. In contrast to domestic policy issues, foreign affairs rarely generate sustained legislative debate, reinforcing the perception that Parliament occupies only a marginal role in India’s external relations.
However, this view tends to miss an important part of how foreign policy is actually examined in India. The reports of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs show that Parliament’s engagement with foreign policy goes far beyond broad strategic questions. The committee consistently highlights a fundamental problem in its discussions on regional policy, multilateral diplomacy, and diplomatic administration: India’s international ambitions are growing faster than the diplomatic and administrative machinery available to support them. While these reports rarely enter public debate, they nevertheless provide an important record of how Parliament examines foreign policy beyond moments of crisis or high-level diplomacy.
