Randhir Jaiswal, India’s Consul General In New York Could Be Next MEA spokesperson

New Delhi: Randhir Jaiswal, a 1998 batch IFS officer, will succeed the current spokesperson, Arindam Bagchi, who has been appointed India’s permanent representative to the UN.

India’s current consul general in New York, Randhir Jaiswal, is set to be the next spokesperson of the external affairs ministry, Hindustan Times reported quoting people familiar with the matter.

Jaiswal, an officer of the 1998 batch of the Indian Foreign Service, will succeed the current spokesperson, Arindam Bagchi, who has been appointed India’s permanent representative to the United Nations (UN) in Geneva.

About Randhir Jaiswal

• During his diplomatic career of more than two decades, Jaiswal has served in Portugal, Cuba, South Africa and at India’s permanent mission to the UN in New York.
• Jaiswal has also served in the external affairs ministry as the deputy secretary, looking after relations with the US and as joint secretary managing ties with countries in Western Europe.
• In mid-2017, he was deputed to serve the President as the joint secretary responsible for international relations. He was appointed in his current position as consul general in New York in July 2020.
• Jaiswal has also been part of the Indian delegation at climate change conferences. He has a master’s degree in history from Delhi University.

Bagchi is expected to continue as the spokesperson for some more time, and the change is expected to happen towards the end of the year, the people said.