The Government of India on Monday appointed a senior officer of the Indian Foreign Service Vinay Mohan Kwatra as the new Foreign Secretary. Kwatra, a 1988 batch IFS officer, is currently serving as Ambassador to Kathmandu since January 2020. He will replace the current Foreign Secretary. Harsh Vardhan ShringlaIFS officer of 1984 batch.
According to an order issued by the Personnel Ministry on Monday, the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the appointment of Kwatra as Foreign Secretary on the retirement of Harsh Vardhan Shringla on April 30.
Here are 10 things to know about India’s next foreign secretary:
1. Vinay Mohan Kwatra was born in 1965 and holds a Master of Science (MSc) degree, having previously served as Joint Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs and Prime Minister’s Office.
2. Known for his extensive expertise in dealing with India’s neighborhood as well as the US, China and Europe, the 1988-batch Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer beat nearly half a dozen others in the race for the coveted position. According to the news agency, Indian High Commissioners to the UK Gayatri Issar Kumar (1986-batch IFS) and Ruchira Kamboj (1987-batch IFS) PTI report good.
3. India’s Ambassador to the US Taranjit Singh Sandhu, who is Kwatra’s batchmate, was also seen as a contender for the post.
4. The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet approved his appointment, a Personnel Ministry order said.
5. It is reported that there is a possibility that Shringla may get a assignment post his retirement and he may be considered for the post of coordinator for the G-20 summit, which will be hosted by India in late 2023. Used to be.
6. Kwatra will take over as foreign secretary at a time when India is grappling with various geopolitical developments including the Ukraine conflict, the severe economic crisis in Sri Lanka and the situation in Afghanistan and developments in the Indo-Pacific.
7. Announcing the appointment of Kwatra, the ministry said that he will take over as foreign secretary on April 30.
8. Prior to his diplomatic posting in Nepal in 2020, he served as India’s Ambassador to France from August 2017 to February 2020. After Kwatra’s tenure in Nepal, relations between the two countries got back on track after serious tensions. border dispute.
9. Kwatra is a career diplomat with over 32 years of experience and has also held the position of a Joint Secretary in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) for two years between October 2015 and August 2017.
10. He headed the Policy Planning and Research Division of the Ministry of External Affairs between July 2013 and October 2015 and later served as the Head of the Americas Division at the Ministry of External Affairs, where he oversaw India’s relations with the United States and Canada. saw.
(with inputs from agencies)
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