Foreign relations of India
India's relations with the world have evolved since the British Raj (1857–1947), when the British Empire monopolised external and defence relations. When India gained independence in 1947, few Indians had experience in making or conducting foreign policy. However, the country's oldest political party, the Indian National Congress, had established a small foreign department in 1925 to make overseas contacts and to publicise its independence struggle. From the late 1920s on, Jawaharlal Nehru, who had a long-standing interest in world affairs among independence leaders, formulated the Congress stance on international issues. As a member of the interim government in 1946, Nehru articulated India's approach to the world.
Indian Independence Medal
The Indian Independence Medal was instituted by George VI in 1949 as a commemorative medal. It was used to reward all members of the Indian armed forces serving on 15 August 1947 and all British military personnel for their contribution after the independence of the Dominion of India in August 1947.