S Jaishankar becomes India’s foreign secretary, finally; Sujatha Singh sacked

S Jaishankar

IN WHAT could turn out to be a game-changer in Indian diplomacy, the government on Wednesday night sacked foreign secretary and 1976 batch IFS Sujatha Singh and appointed India’s ambassador to US Dr S Jaishankar as the new foreign secretary for a term of two years. Jaishankar, the topper of his 1977 batch, had narrowly missed the bus when the government “reluctantly” chose Sujatha Singh as India’s top diplomat in August, 2013. Former foreign secretary Nirupama Rao has termed Jaishankar’s appointment an “outstanding choice”. BoI picks out a few reasons to piece together why Modi Sarkar brought in Jaishankar in such a dramatic way:

Why is foreign secretary Sujatha Singh India’s fourth most powerful bureaucrat?

Sujatha Singh in Japan

FOR 1976 batch IFS officer Sujatha Singh, it was not a cakewalk for getting appointed as India’s foreign secretary succeeding Ranjan Mathai in July last year. A year down the line, with another government at the helm, Mrs Singh has turned a key person behind prime minister Narendra Modi’s highly successful diplomatic venture so far. In BoI Power List 2014, diplomat Singh is India’s 4th Most Powerful Bureaucrat. In fact, when Modi Sarkar took charge in May this year, there were credible reports that Mrs Singh’s junior and…

Foreign dignitaries carry carpets (red?) as gifts for Indian politicians and officials

WHEN a foreign dignitary comes to New Delhi, India’s top diplomats leave no stone unturned to give them a red carpet welcome. What do they give in return? Believe it or not, foreign dignitaries too carry carpets as gifts for Indian politicians and officials. Carpet has emerged as one of the most preferred gift items of foreign dignitaries, as out of 41 gifts listed in the…