Subscribe Now! Get features like
India’s current consul general in New York, Randhir Jaiswal, is set to be the next spokesperson of the external affairs ministry, people familiar with the matter said on Tuesday.
Jaiswal, an officer of the 1998 batch of the Indian Foreign Service, will succeed the current spokesperson, Arindam Bagchi, who has been appointed India’s permanent representative to the United Nations (UN) in Geneva.
During his diplomatic career of more than two decades, Jaiswal has served in Portugal, Cuba, South Africa and at India’s permanent mission to the UN in New York.
Jaiswal has also served in the external affairs ministry as the deputy secretary, looking after relations with the US and as joint secretary managing ties with countries in western Europe.
In mid-2017, he was deputed to serve the President as the joint secretary responsible for international relations. He was appointed in his current position of consul general in New York in July 2020.
Jaiswal has also been part of the Indian delegation at climate change conferences. He has a masters degree in history from Delhi University.
Earlier, the people cited above said Nagaraj Naidu Kakanur, joint secretary (G20), and K Nandini Singla, high commissioner to Mauritius, were among officials considered for the post of spokesperson, one of the most high-profile positions in the foreign ministry.
Bagchi is expected to continue as spokesperson for some more time, and the change is expected to happen towards the end of the year, the people said.
Rezaul H Laskar is the Foreign Affairs Editor at Hindustan Times. His interests include movies and music.