Minister of External Affairs (India) Minister of External Affairs (India) The Minister of External Affairs (or simply Foreign Minister) is the head of the Ministry of External Affairs of the Government of India. One of the senior-most offices in the Union Cabinet, the chief responsibility of the Foreign Minister is to represent India and its government in the international community. The Foreign Minister also plays an important role in determining Indian foreign policy. Occasionally, the Foreign Minister is assisted by a Minister of State for External Affairs or the lower-ranked Deputy Minister of External Affairs. India's first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, also held the Foreign
Deputy Prime Minister of India Deputy Prime Minister of India The Deputy Prime Minister of India is a member of the Union Council of Ministers in the Government of India. Not a constitutional office, it seldom carries any specific powers. A deputy prime minister usually also holds a cabinet portfolio such as home minister or finance minister. In the parliamentary system of government, the prime minister is treated as the "first among equals" in the cabinet; the position of deputy prime minister is used to bring political stability and strength within a coalition government or in times of national emergency, when a proper chain of