MEA Internship Term 2 and Term 1

The Ministry of External Affairs, India, provides an internship program for students and young professionals as an exposure program working in the country’s foreign policy and international relations. The internship program is held in two terms every year: the first term ranges from April to September, and the second term ranges from October to March.

This article provides details on MEA Internship Term 2 and Term 1- including eligibility, application process, and responsibilities- and the benefits the interns can avail themselves of during the internship period.

Read more: MEA Internship Portal

MEA Internship Term 1

Semester and Format

MEA’s internship term generally runs from April 1st to October 1st and lasts for six months. The period is eligible for a minimum duration of one month to six months, according to the period for which applicants are available for the internship and Ministry requirements. Applications are allowed to be made for term one several months prior.

Eligibility Criteria:

To be eligible for the MEA internship, applicants have to fulfil the following requirements:

• Citizenship: The applicants should be Indian citizens or possess Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cards.
• Educational Background: They must be graduates from a recognised university. Final-year students requiring an internship as part of their curriculum are also eligible.
• Age Limit: Candidates must be 30 years of age at the latest.

Application Procedure

Applications are made in some major steps:

1. Application Submission: Applications can be submitted by the eligible candidates through the online portal of MEA internship – https://internship.mea.gov.in/internship , within the provided period.
2. Shortlisting: After the submission window is closed, selected candidates for interview will be intimated, and the interview will be held
3. Interview: Interview is held at the starting of February and the results will be announced a bit later.

Work Tasks

The following duties of the interns in MEA, which are envisaged to engage them to understand the making and implementation of foreign policy include: 

• Researching in international relations and policy issues. 
• Assisting in drafting reports and analyzing current developments. Participation in meetings and discussions with senior officials.

Compensation and Benefits

A stipend of ₹10,000 will be provided every month to cover the interns’ basic expenses while they are in Delhi. Beyond this, MEA reimburses the travel costs only once, that is, when an intern travels to Delhi for the internship.

MEA Internship Term 2

Duration and Pattern

Like Term 1, MEA Internship Term 2 is also six months long and falls between the months of October and March. So, an intern can experience international relations from another point of the year.

Eligibility Criterion

The eligibility criterion remains the same for MEA Internship Term 2 as it is in Term 1:

• Citizenship: Indian citizenship and OCI card holders.
• Qualifications: A postgraduate qualification is required; closing date for applications: candidates may apply in their penultimate year of study
• Age: generally less than 30 years

Application Process

1. Applications for MEA Internship Term 2 are submitted online as they were for Term 1 by the end of July every year, several months prior to the start of Term 2.
2. Shortlisting and Interviews The selection procedure includes shortlisting and interviews.

Duties

Interns for the term of MEA Internship Term 2 would be involved in broadly similar activities as those carried out by interns of Term 1, namely to :

• Research on some assigned specific topics on subjects on India’s foreign policy-related issues.
• Prepare reports, which could be used toward contributing to projects on that is currently under progress at the Ministry.
• Attend briefings and discussions with officers working at various divisions within MEA.

Emolument and Allowance

This includes a compensation package, which remains the same as Term 1. The interns here receive ₹10,000 monthly with a travel allowance on their first trip to Delhi.

Key differences between Term 1 and Term 2

This program is divided into two terms each year under the internship, known as Term 1 and Term 2. Although both terms have a common objective and structure, they are drastically different due to time, application procedures, and focus areas. I’ll compare them in further detail below.

Feature	Term 1 (April – September)	Term 2 (October – March)
Application Deadline	January	July
Focus Areas	Early-year policy initiatives	End-of-year evaluations
Seasonal Context	Aligns with summer activities	Aligns with winter activities

Duration and Timings

• Term 1: April to September: In most cases, this tends to be the spring and summer term. It cuts in at a time suitable to give interns experience about the Ministry during such moments.
• Term 2: October to March: The fall and winter term, in this particular case. This affords a much wider time schedule, where activities are all the more diverse within that short period.

 Each of these terms provides space for an internship of   one to three months but the timing happens to depend on what projects and therefore activities are ready to take on by such interns.

Term 1 Application Timeline:

• Applications are usually taken during January, late January or early February, marking deadlines.
• Interviews with the successful applicants are usually held close to the application date in February.

Term 2 Application Timeline

• It applies later on in the calendar, mostly in July by mid-August.
• Interviews are posted shortly after the deadline for applications, typically around late August.

This allows candidates to know when to apply for each term ahead of time and have sufficient time to submit their applications.

Criteria of Eligibility

Although the eligibility criteria for both terms are nearly the same regarding citizenship (Indian citizens or OCI holders), educational qualification (graduate degree or final-year students), and age bar (usually less than 25 years), the specific outreach may vary in some cases:

• Term 1 may attract more diversified candidates since its application date is relatively early.
• MEA Internship Term 2 generally targets diversification through outreach to candidates from different states and Union Territories, which is meant to ensure adequate regional diversity.

Read more: MEA Internship Eligibility

Intern Responsibilities

The core internships for the two terms basically involve similar duties and expectations, which are to carry out research on foreign policy issues and assist in writing reports that comment on recent developments. This process consists in attending meetings and discussions with senior officials. However, based on the priorities of policy initiatives and the nature of issues prevailing during each term, focus areas may be changed accordingly. For instance,

• Term 1 would be on initiatives related to upcoming international summits or conferences scheduled later in the year.
• Term 2 would highlight evaluation of projects that are going on or preparation for policies that are likely to roll out in the next fiscal year.

Stipend and Benefits

Stipends and benefits during both terms are the same:

• Interns will get a monthly stipend of ₹10,000.
• There is only one travelling allowance for going and coming back to the capital city of the state to Delhi.

This uniformity ensures that all interns are paid without any discrimination based on which term they join.

Read more: MEA Internship Apply Online

Eligibility Criteria

The two-term selection process is entirely online. This involves two stages, as described below:

1. The shortlisting depends on their academic record, and then, through video-conferencing, personal interviews are conducted with the shortlisted candidates.
2. Of course, the number of open positions is likely to vary, however. For instance, both positions typically have up to 30 interns, but that could depend on the program-specific requirements or the administration at MEA.

The two terms, Term 1 and Term 2, bear similarities but differ primarily in other aspects, such as the time when they take place, how one is allowed to apply, focus areas, and outreach strategies. Being aware of such differences guides an intending intern in choosing which term suits his or her academic schedule best and helps him or her achieve his or her career aspirations. Every term is unique, allowing students to gain deeper insight into the foreign policy scenario in India while making contributions toward projects that mean much in the Ministry.

Read more: MEA Internship