Will he? Won’t he? He won’t: Foreign Secy Sibal is out

For at least the last decade, the race for Foreign Secretary had not been so closely fought or kept such a closely guarded secret till the l...

For at least the last decade, the race for Foreign Secretary had not been so closely fought or kept such a closely guarded secret till the last minute. But by this evening the formal authorisation had come, confirming the speculation of the last few weeks. Foreign Secretary Kanwal Sibal was not being given an extension. Secretary Shashank in the MEA, in charge of the Europe, Africa, Americas, is the new Foreign Secretary of India.

Shashank moves into South Block’s corner hot seat on December 1, where he will remain for the next seven months till the end of June. With seniority as the current benchmark, the next person in line is P K Singh, currently ambassador in Brussels. If he succeeds Shashank, he will have only another nine months before he retires from service.

Before returning as Secretary, economic affairs, to New Delhi, Shashank was ambassador in South Korea. He has also served in Pakistan as deputy chief of mission as well as in the Political section (1982-86) as well as First Secretary looking after economic work in India’s Permanent Mission in New York. ‘‘My area of experience has been in the neighbourhood as well as in economic affairs,’’ Shashank said today, adding, ‘‘I have also had the satisfaction of being involved in India’s new economic relationships with the Asean, Africa and Latin America.’’

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Today’s announcement not only puts paid to the possibility of an extension for Sibal, but also a possible ambassadorship to the US when current incumbent Lalit Mansingh retires by the end of March.

According to one school of thought, Sibal was not given an extension because the Pay Commission had expressly decreed in 1998 when raising the age limit in service from 58 years to 60 that extensions would not be in line. But then the MEA extended the tenure of India’s ambassador in France Savitri Kunadi, who was supposed to have retired in October, for another six months till March.

Modi will address a rally in the district and open the Purnea airport that will provide air connectivity to several metro cities, fulfilling a longstanding demand in the Seemanchal region.

PM Modi to open Purnea airport, launch Makhana Board in Monday’s visit to poll-bound Bihar

India2 hr ago

PM Modi will visit Purnea, Bihar, on Monday to inaugurate projects worth Rs 36,000 crore, including an airport and launch the National Makhana Board. The visit is aimed at boosting development and addressing the neglected Seemanchal region. PM will also announce projects worth Rs 35,461 crore and distribute benefits to beneficiaries under different schemes.

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