Budget 2021: Over Rs 2,000 crore alloted to international organisations - BIMSTEC gets Rs 25 crore, SAARC Rs 12 crore

India has kept Rs 2031.93 crore for international organizations under the budget for the financial year 2020-21 announced on Monday. The United Nations organization will get Rs 400 crore under the budget provision of the Ministry of External Affairs.

The BIMSTEC secretariat got Rs 25 crore, while SAARC secretariat got Rs 12 crore. Interestingly, in last year's Budget, BIMSTEC got Rs 20 crore, but it was revised budget and only Rs 9.28 crore was used. As for SAARC, it got Rs 8 crore, but the revised budget stood at Rs 12 cr, showing an increase.

New Delhi plays an important role in both the groupings, but has seen an increased focus on BIMSTEC. Last year, at the oath-taking ceremony of the PM Modi for the second term, all BIMSTEC leaders were invited. SAARC, due to Pakistan's obstructionism has seen little activity. 

To UNICEF, which comes under the domain of ministry of women and child development, India has budgeted Rs 5.60 crore, while to WTO, which comes under the commerce ministry, Rs 3 crore is kept as a contribution.

Meanwhile, commonwealth secretariat got Rs 11.22 cr and the Commonwealth Foundation, which is its sister organisation got Rs 1.40 crore. Nalanda international university got Rs 250 crore, while South Asian university gets Rs 314 crore. 

Total money allocated for Indian embassies and missions stands at Rs 3240.07 crore. India has more than 190 missions and posts around the world, in every part of the world. ICCR or Indian council of cultural relations, whose main function is to showcase and expand India's culture abroad got Rs 300 Cr.

As much as Rs 150 crore has been kept for the maintenance of the aircraft of Air India for VVIP travel, like high-level visits of President, Vice President and Prime Minister. While no travel has happened for over a year due to COVID Pandemic, Indian Prime Minister Modi is expected to visit Dhaka in March for the 50th Independence year celebration of the country. The last visit of Indian PM Modi was to Brazil for BRICS meet in November of 2019. 

Other than that, Rs 2cr has been kept in the MEA budget for "demarcation of boundaries", Rs 3000.01 crore for "Special diplomatic expenditure" and Rs 1 crore for "Expenditure relating to pilgrimage abroad". Membership contribution to FATF is at Rs 1 crore.