Indian Diplomat in Saudi Arabia Sibi George wins S.K. Singh award

Vice President Hamid Ansari on Thursday presented "3rd S.K. Singh Award for Excellence in Indian Foreign Service" to Sibi George, the 1993 batch officer of Indian Foreign Service (IFS).

Addressing on the occasion, he said that Late S.K. Singh was a distinguished diplomat and was his senior in IFS, and also extended his felicitations and best wishes to Manju Singh and the S.K. Singh Memorial Trust for keeping alive the rich legacy of Singh through the institution of this Award.

He congratulated Sibi George for his outstanding services rendered to our compatriots in Saudi Arabia and said that his achievements attain more importance given the difficult situation our citizens had to face in Saudi Arabia.

He opined that having spent almost four decades in IFS, he was of the belief that Diplomacy is a metier which is best practiced in the quiet.

"A successful diplomat is one who performs his mandated tasks with discretion and without much visibility. The very nature of the job is such that confidentiality, at times, coupled with geographical distance, makes it difficult for the public at large to appreciate the tremendous work done by diplomats in foreign lands and even at Headquarters. Consequently accolades or recognition are difficult to come by for most diplomats," Ansari said.

The Vice President also said that Foreign Services across the world have many unknown and unsung heroes, unlike in the home civil service where quantifying the indicators of achievement is relatively easier.

"This is a constraint which we had to accept. Judging or comparing the work done by members of the diplomatic service becomes all the more difficult as performances had to be evaluated in the context of both time and the situation. Each situation, in a particular time period, is unique. It might prove to be equally, if not more or less, challenging than the other one for the person who had to confront it," he added.

He said that nevertheless, it is heartening that the S.K. Singh Memorial Trust led by Manju Singh has instituted this award which every year recognizes exceptional work done by one of our young diplomats.

While this award acknowledges the good work by the recipient, it is also meant to inspire others to excel in the line of duty.