A foreign policy classroom with a difference

In a first of its kind effort, the entire top brass of India's foreign policy establishment spoke on foreign policy issues and the public services of the ministry of external affairs during a Hindi TV programme Saturday.

The pioneering effort to reach out and explain various facets of Indian foreign policy was during a three-and-half-hour Hindi TV programme titled "Foreign Policy Classroom".

During the programme that provided a peek into the making of India's diplomats as well the plans for the expansion of the diplomatic establishment saw External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid, well known for his fluency in chaste Hindi, hold forth at length on the challenges that confront India.

Other senior diplomats, including Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai chipped in with "Hinglish" as they explained the nuances of India's relations with US, Russia, China and the neighbours as well as the challenges of economic diplomacy, said a statement here.

The innovative public diplomacy effort to explain all aspects of the working of India's foreign ministry was in six 30 minute segments in which, for the first time, senior Indian diplomats candidly and publically responded to all questions directed at them in such a platform.