Obama nominates Indian American to key USAID post

The US President Barack Obama has nominated Indian-American Nisha Desai Biswal as Assistant Administrator for Asia in the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

Incidentally, USAID is headed by Raj Shah, who is the highest ranking Indian-American in the Obama Administration.

Biswal is currently a Majority Clerk for the State Department and Foreign Operations Subcommittee on the Committee on Appropriations in the US House of Representatives.

Announcing her nomination among several others, Obama said: "I am grateful that these impressive individuals have agreed to join my administration. I am confident they will serve ably in their new roles, and look forward to working with them in the coming months and years."

In her present position, she has jurisdiction over the State Department, USAID and other aspects of the international affairs budget.

With a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Virginia, Biswal provides staff support to Appropriations Committee Chairman David Obey and Subcommittee Chairwoman Nita Lowey in managing the appropriations and oversight of the US international affairs budget.

Biswal was the Director of Policy and Advocacy at Inter Action, the largest alliance of US based international humanitarian and development non-governmental organisations.

She previously served on the professional staff of the House International Relations Committee where she was responsible for South and Central Asia policy as well as oversight of the State Department and USAID.

Biswal worked at USAID where she served as Special Assistant to Administrator.

During her four years at USAID, Biswal also worked in the Office of US Foreign Disaster Assistance, the Office of Transition Initiatives, and served as chief of staff in the Management Bureau.

She had also worked with the American Red Cross both in their Washington headquarters and overseas as an international delegate in Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan.