Question : Welfare of IBDA

(a) whether the Government is aware that some officers of the Ministry take servants from this country at low salary during their foreign posting and in some cases those servants are even exploited and not allowed to come back at their own will and if so, the details thereof;
(b) whether the Government is likely to consider a policy of hiring India Based Domestic Assistants (IBDAs) for diplomats, on account of the recent controversies involving diplomats and their IBDAs;
(c) whether the Government is likely to grant IBDAs the status of Government employees instead of the present contract based employment with the concerned diplomat and if so, the details thereof;
(d) whether the Government would also consider constituting a helpline and a department to redress grievances of IBDAs involving their diplomats or their spouses; and
(e) if so, the details thereof?

Answer given by the minister

THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS
[GEN. (DR) V. K. SINGH (RETD)]

(a) to (e) Service Staff are engaged to assist our diplomats in fulfilling their diplomatic responsibilities as India’s representatives abroad on mutually agreed terms of engagement in accordance with the rules framed by the Government from time to time. The Ministry has recently revised its policy on deployment of Service Staff for its diplomats which addresses the rights and responsibilities of both the Service Staff and the diplomats.
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