MEA budget sees 35% cut in contributions to international bodies, UN, Nalanda University top list

The contributions of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) towards international bodies have been cut down by 35 per cent in the Union Budget 2024-25 which was presented by the Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday.

For 2024-25, the budget estimates of expenditure of Rs 558.12 crore by the MEA towards Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) Secretariat, South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Secretariat, South Asian University, Nalanda International University and the United Nations (UN), according to a report by The Print.

Nalanda International University, established by the Parliament in Rajgir district of Bihar, is a central university funded by the MEA.

The MEA is estimating a total expenditure of Rs 866.70 crore for 2024-25, according to the revised estimates for 2023-24.

The MEA's contributions towards UN and the Nalanda University face the biggest cuts for the forthcoming year.

According to the publication, for 2024-25, the budget estimates for UN stand at Rs 175 crore which is a 54.25 per cent decrease compared to the budget estimates of 2023-24 standing at Rs 382.54 crore.

According to the budget estimates of 2024-25, the contributions towards the Nalanda International University stand at Rs 200 crore which is a decrease of Rs 100 crore from the budget estimates of 2023-24.

Contributions towards other international organisations have also seen a decrease in allocation, falling to Rs 40 crore in the budget estimates of 2024-25 from Rs 50 crore in the budget estimates of 2023-24.

The Council for Security Cooperation in the Asia Pacific (CSCAP) will see an entire fund cut as the budget made no allocation to the international organisation, opposing the Rs 0.02 crore in the revised estimates of 2023-24.

The international organisation consists of representatives from strategic study centres from various countries including Australia, Canada, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Philippines and the United States. India joined the organisation in 2000 as a full member.