There has been a healthy tradition of national consensus in the conduct of India's foreign policy. The elements of India's foreign policy are frequently debated in the Parliament and the Ministry benefits from the advice of the elected representatives of
the people through the Standing Committee and the Consultative Committee of the Parliament on External Affairs.
Separately, through the Research and Information Systems (RIS), the Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA), Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) and through its Policy Planning and Research Division, the Ministry organizes seminars and workshops on
contemporary issues that provide useful inputs to the processes of decision-making and consensus-building and for the implementation of the decisions finally adopted.