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What Political Clearance Means for Chief Ministers’ Foreign Trips
Political clearance is permission from India’s Ministry of External Affairs for government officials who want to travel abroad.
It helps the government check whether a trip could affect India’s relations with another country.
Officials look at the event, the invitation, who else will attend and the relationship with the host country.
Chief ministers must tell the Cabinet Secretariat and the MEA about official and private foreign trips.
They may also need approval from other government departments.
Revanth Reddy received approval for his UK visit but not for his planned US visit.
Because of that, he cancelled the US part of his trip and returned from London.
Reddy’s office is asking why the permission was refused.
Similar permissions have been denied to other chief ministers in the past.
Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy’s planned US visit was cancelled after the Ministry of External Affairs denied political clearance.
Reddy began a 10-day UK and US tour on August 20 but is returning from London to Hyderabad on August 23.
Political clearance lets the government assess a foreign trip’s diplomatic implications, including the event, invitation, participation and host-country relations.
Chief ministers must notify the Cabinet Secretariat and MEA, and also require Foreign Contribution Regulation Act and Department of Economic Affairs clearances in applicable cases.
Past denials include foreign-trip requests by Arvind Kejriwal, Tarun Gogoi and Arjun Munda; the clearance system has also faced criticism as slow.
- Who
- Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, the Ministry of External Affairs and other Indian government authorities.
- What
- Political clearance for Reddy’s planned US visit was denied, leading to cancellation of that part of his foreign tour.
- Where
- The cancelled leg was to the United States, including Boston; the approved leg was to the United Kingdom.
- When
- Reddy began the tour on August 20 and was scheduled to return from London to Hyderabad on August 23.
- Why
- Political clearance is required so the government can assess the diplomatic and foreign-policy implications of official foreign travel.
Case for Central Review
Concerns About the System
Who should assess foreign visits?
Case for Central Review
The MEA says it must decide the suitability, desirability and level of Indian participation in overseas engagements because such trips can have diplomatic implications.
Concerns About the System
The system has been criticized as dilatory; former Civil Aviation Secretary Ashok Lavasa argued in 2014 that the MEA’s clearance of all officials’ foreign travel proposals should be changed.
Reddy’s cancelled US visit
Case for Central Review
The Centre approved Reddy’s UK travel but denied political clearance for the US leg, consistent with the system’s requirement that each foreign visit be assessed.
Concerns About the System
Reddy’s office is seeking clarity from MEA officials about why permission was denied, particularly because the refusal was communicated after the delegation had reached the UK.
Key facts
- Decision-making authority
- The Ministry of External Affairs grants or denies political clearance.
- Reddy’s itinerary
- His 10-day UK and US tour began on August 20; only the UK leg was approved.
- Cancelled visit
- Reddy was scheduled to leave London for Boston but instead returned to Hyderabad on August 23.
- Required notifications
- Chief ministers must inform the Cabinet Secretariat and the Ministry of External Affairs about official or private foreign visits.
- Additional approvals
- State chief ministers and ministers also need Department of Economic Affairs clearance, while Foreign Contribution Regulation Act clearance is required in applicable cases.
- Online applications
- Political-clearance applications have been submitted through the MEA’s e-pol clearance website since 2016.
- Previous denials
- Arvind Kejriwal, Tarun Gogoi and Arjun Munda previously had foreign-trip requests denied or not approved.
Quotes
Ministry of External Affairs
The ministry cited this reason in a note denying Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi’s proposed visit.
“ensure that the timeline stipulated for submitting the proposal for foreign visits requiring ScoS (Screening Committee of Secretaries) and Prime Minister’s approval are received 15 days prior to departure date of the delegation but not later than before 5 days before date of departure”
indianexpress.com
“direct correspondence by a diplomatic Mission with a State Government being inappropriate”
indianexpress.com
Sources
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