Thread by @rakeshdubbudu

(1/n) Launching the #KnowYourSources series today. Every week, we will be featuring a data/information source from the government that is not usually well known. The idea is to popularize the presence of data/information sources that are important but are not well known.

(2/n) The MEA publishes data on gifts presented to VIPs/members of the official delegation during their official foreign visits, which are received in the Toshakhana. These are governed by Foreign Contribution (Acceptance or Retention of Gifts or Presentations) Rules, 2012

(3/n) The list can be accessed here - mea.gov.in/disclosure-of-…

(4/n) As per the rules, any person who is part of the official Indian Delegation receiving any gift or presentation from a foreign source has to report it within 30 days to the Secretary of the concerned Ministry of the Govt. of India that sponsored the program.

(5/n) The gifts received are deposited in Toshakhana for evaluation by Customs Appraiser to assess their market value. The recipient is informed about the assessed market value of the gift by Toshakhana.

(6/n) If the value is less than Rs. 5,000, the gift is offered to the recipient for retention.

If the value is more than Rs.5000, the recipient is offered the option to purchase the gift on payment of the difference between the market value and Rs.5,000.

(7/n) Some of the expensive gifts received are sent to the National Museum for display.

Several important gifts have been displayed at the Official Residence of the Prime Minister and in MEA

These gifts cannot be auctioned to general public as per Toshakhana Rules of 1967

(n/n) Some questions to which you can find answers to using the data

1) Find out which VIP received most no. of gifts
2) What type of items are Gifted to which VIP?

Here is one of our old articles

factly.in/indian-vips-re…