Sandhu named India's envoy to US, Sringla FS

New Delhi: Numerous challenges await senior career diplomat and 1984 batch IFS officer Harsh Vardhan Shringla, who will take over as India’s foreign secretary for a two-year term on Wednesday. The government on Tuesday also appointed another senior diplomat, Taranjit Singh Sandhu, now high commissioner to Sri Lanka and a 1988 batch IFS officer, as the next ambassador to the United States.

Mr Shringla was till recently India’s ambassador in the US. The most immediate challenge for the new foreign secretary will perhaps be to deal with the fallout of the forthcoming discussion on the resolutions tabled in the European Parliament on India’s Citizenship Amendment Act, which New Delhi is clearly worried about.

The controversial debate will be on Wednesday itself, as Mr Shringla assumes charge, and the voting on these resolutions will be on Thursday. New Delhi’s views are that it is an “internal matter” of India.

A visit by US President Donald Trump to India is also expected to take place late next month. Mr Trump visit is being viewed as a major step in further strengthening bilateral strategic ties. Also, strengthening ties with time-tested friend Russia will also be a major challenge at a time when US-Russia ties have hit rock-bottom. Other major challenges for the new foreign secretary will include the ties with troublesome western neighbour Pakistan, which have been on a downward spiral since 2016. Engaging with giant eastern neighbour China will be yet another.

Mr Shringla is also seen as an expert on ties with Bangladesh and this is being seen as a huge positive, given Dhaka’s concerns over the CAA.

Mr Shringla will succeed current foreign secretary Vijay Gokhale who retires on Tuesday. “Bidding farewell to foreign secretary Vijay Gokhale who is retiring today. Thank him for his leadership of the Ministry and for his various contributions to Indian diplomacy. Wishing him all the best in his future endeavours,” external affairs minister S. Jaishankar tweeted on Tuesday.

The appointment of Mr Shringla as the next foreign secretary had been announced last month by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Mr Shringla had graduated from St. Stephen’s College in Delhi  and had worked in the corporate and public sectors in India prior to joining the Indian Foreign Service.