India joins UN's '2021 Honor Roll' with $24 million regular budget payment; one of only 25

India has paid its United Nations regular budget assessment in full with a payment of USD 24.12 million, joining an honour roll of 25 Member States that have fully paid their assessments to the world organization so far this year. India made the payment of USD 24.12 million on January 29. So far 25 Member States have paid their regular budget assessments in full.

"Paid in full! India joins the '2021 Honour Roll' list of Member States that have paid their UN regular budget assessments in full," India's Permanent Mission to the UN tweeted Monday. 

Budget 2021: MEA gets its highest-ever allocation

Meanwhile, India on Monday set aside over Rs 7,100 crore in its budget for 2021-22 as development assistance for countries in its neighbourhood as well as in Africa and Latin America, with Bhutan getting the maximum allocation of Rs 3,004 crore while Rs 100 crore will be given to Chabahar port project in Iran.

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Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman allocated Rs 18,154 crore to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in the Union Budget, out of which Rs 7,148 crore has been earmarked as an aid to countries. As per the revised estimates, India's development assistance in 2020-21 was Rs 5,369 crore.

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The allocation of Rs 18,154 crore is the highest for the ministry till date and the overall development portfolio including the assistance to the countries accounted for 42% of the total outlay. A significant share of the aid portfolio in the budget is to cater to India's sustained COVID assistance to friendly countries including the supply of Coronavirus vaccines as grants under the 'Vaccine Maitri' initiative, PTI quoted an official as saying.

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An enhanced allocation has also been made for initiatives related to the United Nations and other International Organisations as compared to earlier years. The official said enhanced allocation has been made commensurate with India's expanding diplomatic footprint, with the opening of new missions in several countries. The total allocation of Rs 18,154 crore to MEA is roughly 5% higher than the budget estimate of Rs 17,346 crore and 21% higher than the revised estimate of Rs 15,000 crore in 2020-21.

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(With agency inputs)