Which of the following Twitter handles belonged to the first ministry of the Government of India to have an official account on Twitter, marking an early step in digital diplomacy and e governance?

Introduction / Context:
Social media has become an important tool for governments to communicate with citizens and the international community. In India, ministries gradually began to open official Twitter accounts as part of their digital outreach. This question asks you to identify which ministry was the first to have an official account on Twitter and which handle represents that ministry. This is a blend of current affairs, digital governance and general knowledge.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The question is about the first ministry to have an official Twitter account in India.
• The options are four Twitter handles associated with different ministries.
• @IndianDiplomacy is associated with the Ministry of External Affairs.
• Other handles relate to railways, commerce and industry and human resource development.

Concept / Approach:
The Ministry of External Affairs, through its public diplomacy division, was an early adopter of Twitter in India. The handle @IndianDiplomacy became known as one of the first official governmental Twitter accounts, used for sharing foreign policy updates and engaging with global audiences. Railways, commerce and HRD ministries joined the platform later. The approach is therefore to associate @IndianDiplomacy with the pioneering use of Twitter by an Indian ministry and choose that option as the correct answer.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that the Ministry of External Affairs was a pioneer in using social media for public diplomacy. Step 2: Recognise that its Twitter handle is @IndianDiplomacy, which became widely known. Step 3: Compare the timeline of other handles such as @RailMinIndia, @CimGOI and @HRDMinistry, which were created later as social media use expanded. Step 4: Identify @IndianDiplomacy as the first among these to be launched as an official ministry account. Step 5: Therefore, select @IndianDiplomacy as the correct answer.

Verification / Alternative check:
As a cross check, think about when Twitter began to rise in prominence in India and which types of information were initially shared by the government. International relations and foreign policy updates were especially suited for global social media platforms. News articles from that period highlighted how the Ministry of External Affairs, through @IndianDiplomacy, had begun to use Twitter to engage with both Indian citizens and foreign audiences. Later, other ministries such as Railways and HRD copied this model. This historical pattern verifies that @IndianDiplomacy held the distinction of being the first ministry Twitter account.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option B: @RailMinIndia represents the Ministry of Railways and was created later, after the success of earlier digital diplomacy efforts.

Option C: @CimGOI is associated with the Ministry of Commerce and Industry but was not the first ministry handle.

Option D: @HRDMinistry represents the ministry dealing with education but again joined Twitter later and does not have the distinction of being first.

Common Pitfalls:
Students may be tempted to guess based on how active or visible a handle is currently rather than on its historical launch date. Railways, for example, has a strong social media presence now, which may mislead some test takers into selecting @RailMinIndia. To avoid such confusion, it is important to remember specific exam facts that tie early social media use to public diplomacy and the Ministry of External Affairs. Linking the phrase digital diplomacy in your mind with @IndianDiplomacy will help you recall this association accurately during exams.

Final Answer:
@IndianDiplomacy