The Toshakhana (treasury) data of the Ministry of External Affairs showed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi received gifts worth Rs 12.57 lakh on his foreign trips conducted in the one year period between July 2017 and June 2018.
According to the data, the total number of items gifted to the PM by foreign dignitaries was 168. The gifts include a Montblanc wrist watch valued at Rs 1.10 lakh, a silver plaque, and a set of Montblanc pens worth Rs 2.15 lakh and Rs 1.25 lakh, respectively.
Besides the Montblanc items, the PM also received figurines, paintings, books, photographs and a model of the bullet train.
PM Modi visited 20 countries in the period covered in the report. The countries he visited include Israel, Germany, China, Jordan, Palestine, the UAE, Russia, Oman, Sweden, the UK, Indonesia and Malaysia.
Modi also received crystal and silver bowls, replicas of the Pashupatinath and Muktinath temples of Nepal during his visit to the Himalayan neighbour, shawls, figurines of gods and goddess, tea sets, carpets, cardigans, mufflers and fountain pens, among others, according to the data.
The prime minister also received a replica of a mosque valued at Rs 50,000 and a dagger worth Rs 20,000, it stated.
Gifts valued at over Rs 5,000 received by government officials representing India abroad are deposited in the treasury of the ministry. If the market value of the gift is less than this amount, the person is allowed to keep it.