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CLEARING CMS’ FOREIGN TRIPS

UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS | CLEARING CMS’ FOREIGN TRIPS | 19TH JULY | INDIAN EXPRESS

/ July, 2022, UPSC Daily Current Affairs

SYLLABUS SECTION: GS II (POLITY AND GOVERNANCE)

WHY IN THE NEWS CLEARING CMS’ FOREIGN TRIPS?

Minister Arvind Kejriwal has question why the Centre has delays the clearing of Cms’ foreign trips to Singapore,

Where he has been invite to attend a World Cities Summit schedule during July 31-August 3.

  • In October2019, the Centre had not given him approval to attend another conference abroad,
  • Which he eventually address through video conferencing,

What clearance do Chief Ministers require to travel abroad?

  • The Cabinet Secretariat and the Ministry of External Affairs should kept inform of the propose foreign visit,
  • Either official or private, of Chief Ministers and Ministers of State Governments/Union Territories.
  • Prior political clearance and FCRA (Foreign Contribution Regulation Act) clearance are mandatory
  • In case of Chief Ministers and Ministers of state governments,
  • A copy of the application must also sent to the Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs (DEA).

What is political clearance?

  • This comes from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
  • This is require not only for public servants but any government servant for a foreign trip.
  • The decision is taken base on multiple factors such as the nature of the event, the level of participation from other countries, the kind of invitation that has been extend, and also India’s relations with the host country
  • Since 2016, applications can made for e-political clearance, on the portal gov.in.
  • On June14, 2014, then Civil Aviation Secretary Ashok Lavas (wrote then Cabinet Secretary Ajit Seth that the “dilatory system” of the MEA clearing all proposals for travel abroad by officials should be change.
Are any other clearances require?
  • Different officers need different additional clearances.
  • Chief Ministers, ministers of state governments and other state officials also need clearance from the Department of Economic Affairs
  • For Union ministers, after getting political clearance from the MEA, additional clearance is need from the Prime Minister, whether the trip is official or personal.
Do judges need clearance for foreign trips?
  • For official foreign travel, the proposal by a Supreme Court or High Court judge is sent to the Department of Justice (DoJ) after taking clearance from the Chief Justice of India.
  • The DoJ, after taking political clearance from the MEA and in some cases from the Home Ministry (when FCRA is involve), issues approval.
  • Political clearance from the MEA was need even for personal trips until February 11, 2010, when the DoJ decide to dispense with this necessity in case of private visits.

SOURCE: INDIAN EXPRESS