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India’s next External Affairs Secretary:Web of speculations surround Raisina Hills
New Delhi: Even though the incumbent External Affairs Secretary Harsh V Shringla is scheduled to retire in April this year, it’s not clear whether he may be allowed to go or retained.
This doubt has arisen because of the golden government policy of continuity over change wherever necessary. So, if Shringla is retained in one way or another, it may indicate that the government considers the current Russia-Ukrain crisis as a critical one that demands the continuity of the foreign secretary.
In case Shringla is retained outside the office of FS, there are a number of officers competent enough to fill his vacancy. Some of them are Jaideep Sarkar posted in South Africa and Ms. Ruchira Kamboj, Ambassador of India to Bhutan; Taranjit Singh Sandhu, Ambassador of India in the US; Sanjay Kumar Verma, India’s Ambassador in Japan; Vinay Mohan Kwatra in Nepal.
According to the principle of seniority and experience, the next FS may be from either the 1987 or 1988 batch.
It is also in the air that if Shringla retires in the normal course, incumbent India’s Ambassador to US Taranjit Singh Sandhu stands a better chance to become the FS. However, it is pointed out that since Sandhu is seen as doing his job commendably in the US, he may not be pulled back from there.
The flip side is that the appointment of Sandhu as FS, instead of disturbing the excellent India-US relations, may work to move the relations to the next stage of development, whatever that may be. Then, there is another interesting point for which a precedent already exists.
After retiring as FS, Shringla is sent to the US as ambassador and Sandhu brought in his office. This kind of arrangement happened earlier also.
Former FS Nirupama Menon Rao was made India’s Envoy to the US (2011-2013) post her retirement in 2011. Interestingly, Taranjeet Singh Sandhu’s wife Reenat Sandhu was on May 13, 2021, appointed as Secretary (West) in the Ministry of External and within eight months she was moved from South Block to the Netherlands as India’s Envoy. The significance, or otherwise, of this move is yet to be grasped.
