Sujatha Singh to be India’s next Foreign Secretary

Written by Subhajit Roy | New Delhi | Published: July 2, 2013 10:36:09 am

Sujatha Singh,the current ambassador to Germany,has been named the next Foreign Secretary of India.

A 1976-batch IFS officer,Singh will take charge on August 1.

Daughter of former Governor of UP,West Bengal and Sikkim T V Rajeswar – who was also director of Intelligence Bureau under Indira Gandhi – Singh is a German speaker. She was posted in Australia during the turbulent phase of violent attacks on Indian students in 2009-10,and is credited for tiding over the crisis.

In April this year,she managed to have a substantive visit by the PM to Germany. She has served in Italy,Thailand and France,and been on the Nepal desk as an Under secretary in the early 80s.

She also was joint secretary,in charge of west Europe,from 2004 to 2007 during her last stint in South Block.

She,who would have retired in July 2014,will now finish her term on July 2015.