The government has made a series of fresh diplomatic appointments as well as rejigged the existing ones to enhance India’s foreign policy objectives. Amongst others, TS Tirumurti will head to New York and take over from Syed Akbaruddin as the Permanent Ambassador to UN New York. Gaitri Kumar will head as the next Indian High Commissioner to London.
Here is the complete list of appointments made by the government:
TS Tirumurti, who is presently Secretary (Economic Relations) at the Headquarters will head to New York and take over as the Permanent envoy to UN New York from Syed Akbaruddin.
This will be a period of high expectations and challenges as India becomes a non-permanent member of the UNSC in 2021.
Also, post-COVID-19, the UN and other international organizations may undergo many changes, and India will seek to actively influence these changes and support a multi-polar world.
Also Read: Anurag Srivastava takes charge as new MEA spokesperson
Syed Akbaruddin has worked strenuously in getting various Pakistan based terror groups proscribed. He has also beaten the Chinese efforts to bring the issue of Jammu and Kashmir into the UNSC. These challenges in addition to various sustainable development challenges will keep the new envoy occupied.
Tirumurti is known to be a problem solver and has spearheaded India’s economic diplomacy at both the national and global level.
He is an officer of the Indian Foreign Service (IFS) belonging to the 1985 batch and has served as the Indian envoy to Malaysia previously.
He has also served in the Permanent Mission of India in Geneva and as Joint Secretary (UN Economic and Social) at the headquarters.
He holds Bachelor’s Degrees in Commerce and Law.
Monika Mohta, currently the Indian Ambassador to Sweden and Latvia has been appointed as the envoy to Switzerland.
The 1985 batch IFS officer has previously served as the envoy to Poland and Lithuania.
She has held many important positions in the Headquarters as well as in the Missions abroad. She has served in Paris, Bangkok, and Kathmandu and London.
Gaitri Kumar, presently the Indian Ambassador to Belgium, Luxembourg, and European Union will be the new Indian High Commissioner to Britain. She will be replacing Ruchi Ghanshyam who will be retiring.
She is an IFS officer of the 1986 batch and has served in various capacities in Europe previously in Lisbon, Geneva, and as the Deputy Ambassador in Paris.
She has also served as the Joint/Additional Secretary to the President of India.
In recent times, relations between India and Britain have expanded into new frontiers and the two countries are collaborating in renewable energy and other scientific areas. However, the Indian High Commission in London has been an object of frequent attacks by Pakistan sponsored goons. This will be an important nation, India will seek to expand its ties with, especially post Brexit.
Gaitri Kumar has graduated from Bangalore University.
Jaideep Mazumdar who is presently India’s envoy to the Philippines will head to Vienna to take over as the Ambassador to Austria. He will also represent India at the UN and IAEA in Vienna.
He is an IFS officer belonging to the 1989 batch. He has previously served as the Chief of Protocol and also in UN New York. He has served as the Deputy Chief of Mission in Beijing and Kathmandu too.
He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics and a Master’s degree in Management.
Indramani Pandey who is presently the Additional Secretary (D& ISA) in the headquarters is expected to take over as India’s Permanent Envoy to the UNOG (UN Geneva), later in the year once the incumbent Rajeev Chander retires.
Pandey is an IFS officer of the 1990 batch and has previously served as the Ambassador to Oman and as the Deputy Chief of Mission in Paris. He is considered to be an expert on China.
It is in Geneva where many international organizations such as the WHO may undergo changes and India will actively seek to ensure that these changes foster respect for international law and promote a multi-polar world.
Dr. Neena Malhotra who is presently the Additional Secretary, Indo- Pacific, Southern, and Indian Ocean Region (IOR) has been appointed as the nation’s envoy to Italy. She had earlier served in New York and as the Additional Secretary heading the East and South African division.
Malhotra is an officer of the Indian Foreign Service belonging to the 1992 batch.
Santosh Jha will replace Gaitri Kumar in Brussels. He is presently the envoy to Uzbekistan.
He is an IFS officer belonging to the 1993 batch and is India’s best man in Brussels. He has been involved previously in the negotiations between India and EU over the Bilateral Investments and Trade Agreement and the Indo-US Nuclear deal. This will be a return to Brussels as he has previously served as the Deputy Chief of Mission here.
He has also previously served as the Deputy Envoy in US and has also served in Vladivostok, New York and Colombo amongst other places.
At the Headquarters, he has extensively dealt with Western Europe.
He has also previously served as the Deputy Envoy in the US and has also served in Vladivostok, New York and Colombo amongst other places.
At the Headquarters, he has extensively dealt with Western Europe.
He holds a Master’s Degree in History from Delhi University.
India-EU relations have been struck due to disagreements over the Investment and Trade deal. The EU has also courted controversy over its avoidable conduct related to CAA and Jammu and Kashmir and other internal matters of India. The two nations will seek to hold the Indo-EU summit that had been called off due to COVID-19 fears.
Raveesh Kumar, the former Spokesperson of the MEA is headed towards Helsinki and will take over as the Indian Ambassador to Finland from Vani Rao.
He is an IFS officer belonging to the 1995 batch and has served previously as the Deputy Envoy to Jakarta, Consul- General in Frankfurt amongst others.
He has looked after the East Asia desk at the MEA.
He has graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in History from the Hansraj College in Delhi.
Shambhu Kumaran, presently the Indian Ambassador to Morocco will now seek to influence, India’s ‘Act East Policy’ in Manila after taking over from Jaideep Mazumdar.
He is considered to be one of the brightest officers in the Indian Foreign Service and is known to be action-oriented.
He is an IFS officer of the 1995 batch and has served previously as the Deputy High Commissioner to South Africa.
He holds a Master’s Degree in International Studies and a Master of Philosophy in Diplomatic Studies from the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) in Delhi.