<Tr> <Th> Formation </Th> <Td> 2 September 1946 </Td> </Tr> <P> The Minister of External Affairs (or simply foreign minister) is the head of the Ministry of External Affairs of the Government of India . One of the senior-most offices in the Union Cabinet, the chief responsibility of the Foreign Minister is to represent India and its government in the international community . The foreign minister also plays an important role in determining Indian foreign policy . Occasionally, the foreign minister is assisted by a Minister of State for External Affairs or the lower - ranked Deputy Minister of External Affairs . </P> <P> India's first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, also held the foreign minister post throughout his 17 - year premiership of the country; he remains the country's longest - serving foreign minister . Several other prime ministers have since held the additional charge of foreign minister, but never has any other cabinet minister held additional charge of the office . There have been a number of foreign ministers who went on to become prime minister . </P> <P> The current Minister of External Affairs is Sushma Swaraj of the Bharatiya Janata Party, who took over from Salman Khurshid of the Indian National Congress on 26 May 2014 </P>

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