More about Eenam Gambhir -- the diplomat who challenged Nawaz Sharif’s speech at the United Nations

Eenam Gambhir (Photo Courtesy: Facebook)

SINCE Thursday morning, Indian television and social media were abuzz with the way an Indian diplomat —a 2005 Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer Eenam Gambhir — gave an apt response to Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s speech at the United Nations where the Pak PM had earlier raised the issue of Kashmir and hailed slain Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani a “young leader” from Kashmir. “The land of Taxila, one of the greatest learning centres of ancient times, is now host to the Ivy League of terrorism. It attracts aspirants and apprentices from all over the world”, she said in UN while describing Pakistan as the “global epicentre of terrorism”. Here are a few things you may like to know about this young Indian diplomat. 

Countering Pak ISI to figure in Army-Civil Servants joint session

COUNTERING Pakistan's ISI network in Western Indian states is one of many topics that would come up for discussion in joint interactive sessions between Army officers and civil servants as a part of their mid-career development. The first of the series of such meets for the current financial year is scheduled to be held in Mumbai between August 21 and 23, where select officers of Indian armed forces will sit together with civil servants to discuss...

Millions of dollars spent on funding “pleasure trips” of Pakistan bureaucrats

"Corrupt Legislation", a famous mural by Elihu Vedder (1896)

HUNDREDS of Pakistani bureaucrats may need to submit what they had learnt from short courses in US after it was alleged that a sizeable portion of a $61 million World Bank loan was actually used up to finance their pleasure trips to US in the name of capacity building, media reports in Pakistan and US said.
The World Bank programme that was launched between 2004 and 2009, actually facilitated over 300 bureaucrats traveling to...

Pakistan bureaucrats blamed for non-utilisation of money meant for cities

Karachi Airport during World War II (File Photo)

CALL it a Pak version of mini-JNNURM. Five Pakistan cities and four parts of Karachi were doled out a special package worth Rs 1,000 crore (Pak rupee), but the resources could not be fully utilized in the absence of an elected local government system in Sindh province and bureaucrats’ risk averse attitude, The Dawn has reported. The package was a part of Sindh government’s 2011-12 budget which benefitted cities like…

Is new Pakistan envoy to US Sherry Rehman a competition to India's Nirupama Rao?

Sherry Rehman: A competition to Nirupama Rao?

THEN Indian foreign secretary and 1973 batch IFS Nirupama Rao’s appointment as India’s ambassador to America a few months ago was a calibrated move, and not a routine post-retirement placement of an efficient and loyal officer as some sidetracked IFS babus would like to believe. The South Block wanted someone highly articulate, and the one who is close to Prime Minister and also in sync with New Delhi’s US agenda.

Pakistani top establishment may or may not have similar reasons while appointing Sherry Rehman as its new envoy to Washington after Husain Haqqani’s resignation over the ‘Memogate’ controversy, but on several counts, Rehman is likely to be a tough competitor to Nirupama Rao in high-voltage diplomatic networking in US. Both are well educated women executives, and more significantly both are outstanding while articulating their views. Rao, a career diplomat, first came into prominence when she was the spokeswoman of India’s foreign office. She knows what to say, and also what not to say. Rehman, a close aide of slain ex-Prime Minister of Pakistan Benazir Bhutto, is a prominent media personality and former editor of a reputed magazine. Rehman resigned as Pakistan’s information minister in March 2009, reportedly because of her differences with President Asif Ali Zardari on imposing restrictions on the media.

Many hardliners in Pakistan are however obsessed with Rehman’s personal life and controversies, and some even dismiss her brightness as she is a woman.

India sponsored 1846 officers to study abroad in 10 years

As many as1846 Indian officers were sent for higher education abroad under the Domestic Funding of Foreign Training (DFFT) Scheme beginning 2000. Out of this selected lot, 938 belong to All India Services like IAS, IPS and Indian Forest Service, and 359 are from other Group ‘A’ Services, according to minister of state in Primn Minister’s Office V Narayanasamy who gave a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday. There were 215 Central Secretariat Service officers among the selected lot.

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Cricket Holiday: Advantage Pakistan bureaucrats ahead of Mohali match!

NO one knows whether it’s advantage Dhoni or Afridi, but Pakistani bureaucrats have an edge over their Indian counterparts, at least on Wednesday afternoon! As India and Pakistan cricket teams would encounter in the much hyped-up world cup semi-final match at Mohali on Wednesday, Pakistani officers can go back home at noon and watch the big event of the decade.

Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani who will watch the match live with his Indian counterpart Dr Manmohan Singh, announced a half working day for all Pakistani government offices on Wednesday. A statement issued by Gilani’s office emphasized that the half-day off would allow people to “watch the Pakistan-India cricket semifinal”.

When is the last time Indian babus got a chance to take off for cheering up the country’s cricket team?

Action and Appointments

a) Abhilaksh Likhi, a 1991 batch Haryana cadre IAS, who worked as Additional Director General in the Organizing Committee of the Commonwealth Games, has been appointed as joint secretary in the ministry of social justice and empowerment in place of Ms Purnima Singh, a 1978 batch IRS-IT officer.

b) Pankaj Joshi, a 1989 batch Gujarat cadre IAS has been appointed as joint secretary in the ministry of social justice and empowerment in place of Arvind Prasad, a 1980 batch Bihar cadre IAS.

c) Umesh Kumar, a 1983 batch Rajasthan cadre IAS has been appointed as joint secretary, in the department of financial services in place of Tarun Bajaj, a 1988 batch Haryana cadre IAS.

d) Upendra Prasad Singh, a 1985 batch Orissa cadre IAS has been appointed as joint secretary in the ministry of steel in place of G Elias, a 1982 batch Kerala cadre IAS.

e) Ms Nivedita Shukla Verma, a 1991 batch UP cadre IAS, presently director, cabinet secretariat, has been appointed as joint secretary, cabinet secretariat, by temporarily upgrading the post held by the officer.

Pak’s new economic team to chase IMF commitments; Boston-educated bureaucrat made finance secretary

PAKISTAN government has reshuffled its key economic team and made Waqar Masood Khan, a doctorate in economics from Boston University as the country’s finance secretary. Current finance secretary Salman Siddique has been appointed as the new Federal Board of Revenue chairman, a demotion in technical terms as the revenue department in Pakistan like that in India comes under the finance ministry.

The reshuffle of the nation’s elite economic team became necessary as Pakistan has been struggling to fulfill its commitments to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), according to Pakistan’s media report. The new team is likely to gear up for the imposition of the Reformed General Sales Tax (RGST) regime. Federal Board of Revenue chairman Sohail Ahmed has been posted as the federal planning and development secretary with immediate effect.

Boston-educated Waqar Masood Khan also holds an MA degree in economics and LLB from Karachi University. Currently, he has been working as special secretary to Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani. According to The Nation, the decision of the reshuffle was taken in a meeting attended by the country's President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani.

BS Lalli on his way out

President Pratibha Patil has reportedly signed the order for suspension of Prasar Bharti CEO BS Lalli, a 1971 batch retired IAS officer. According to the Prasar Bharati Act, the chairman or a member of Prasar Bharti can only be removed by an order of the President on the ground of misbehaviour after the Supreme Court holds an inquiry following a reference to it. Lalli has faced an allegation of irregularities in awarding the contract for broadcast of Commonwealth Games to a UK-based firm SIS Live. Lalli has so far denied any wrong doing.

Action and Appointments

a) Ajay  Kumar, a 1985 batch Kerala cadre IAS has been appointed as joint secretary in the department of information and technology in place of Rakesh Singh, a 1978 batch Punjab cadre IAS who has become additional secretary in the department of financial services.

b) Ms. Anjali Anand Srivastava, a 1982 batch IAAS has been appointed as joint secretary and financial adviser in the ministry of coal.

c) Praveen Kumar Tiwari, a 1985 batch IAAS has been appointed as Director, Financial Intelligence Unit--India at joint secretary level. He replaces Arun Goyal, a 1985 batch UT cadre IAS who has become Minister (E and C) at Embassy of India, Tokyo.

d) Nar Singh Dev a 1996 batch IIS, presently working as joint secretary (director level)

in the UPSC has been appointed as OSD to the minister of parliamentary affairs Pawan Kumar Bansal.

e) Ajay Kumar Singh, a 1989 batch Jharkhand cadre IPS has been appointed as director in the ministry of home affairs.