Mansingh8217;s post a compensation

NEW DELHI, August 6: The appointment of Lalit Mansingh, Secretary West in the Ministry of External Affairs as High Commissioner to the UK was finally announced here today, putting at rest speculation about the incumbent to this high-profile post.

Mansingh is the first career diplomat ever to be sent to London. He succeeds former foreign secretary Salman Haidar, whose appointment in December by the UF government had become a controversial issue since Haidar took over his new job after that government was reduced to caretaker status.

Mansingh8217;s posting to London is seen here as 8220;compensation8221; for losing the race for becoming India8217;s next foreign secretary, a job that is widely believed will now go to Chandrashekhar Dasgupta, who is number two in the IFS hierarchy. Dasgupta is currently accredited to Brussels as ambassador.