Students' Gymkhana, IIT Kanpur under Ministry of External Affairs' Student and Ministry of External Affairs Engagement Program (SAMEEP), organised a talk on "Indian and its Foreign Policy" on 11th August. The Public Policy and Opinion Cell of IIT Kanpur hosted the talk. SAMEEP is an initiative taken by the Ministry of External Affairs undertaken as a part of India@75 celebrations. Several lectures are being conducted all across the nation to make the youth aware of Indian Foreign Policy as we celebrate the 75 years of independence as a nation. A similar lecture was conducted at IIT Kanpur where Mr Shubham Singh, Protector of Emigrants, Bengaluru (Jurisdiction: Karnataka and Goa), Ministry of External Affairs, connected with the students of IIT Kanpur.

The talk began with the speaker, an alumnus of IIT Kanpur himself, taking the students for a dive into the structure and functioning of the Ministry of External Affairs. The MEA has an organisation led by more than 700 IFS officers and staff, committed to safeguarding the integrity and interests of Indian citizens worldwide by maintaining foreign relations. It is also responsible for maintaining international co-operation on political and economic fronts. Students peeked into the discussions of the multiple issues dealt with and many more at hand regarding our relationship with our neighbours and allies, which becomes even more essential to know India's stance as the world sees a significant turn of geopolitical events.

MEA is also dedicated to connecting to the citizens on various fronts like energy security, infrastructure, food security, and reaching out to Indians in distress. The organisational structure of MEA with 196 missions and posts abroad and its career progression graph also makes the Indian Foreign Service an excellent career option. He even shared his experiences from training as an IFS officer to postings at various missions and posts.

The session ended on a fun note as the speaker shared glimpses of his journey at IIT Kanpur.