Sujata Singh to be India's next foreign secretary

59-year-old is a 1976 batch Indian foreign service officer

Sujata Singh, envoy to Germany, will be India’s next foreign secretary after an approval of her appointment by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, ending months of speculation on who will head the foreign services.     

59-year-old Singh, a 1976 batch Indian foreign service officer, was a close contender for the top job, along with India’s envoy to China S Jaishankar, a batch junior to her. His name was doing the rounds because of his excellent service particularly as envoy to China. Due to retire in July next year, Singh will now have a two-year extension and will succeed Ranjan Mathai, set to retire on July 31.     

Singh, who will be the third woman to head the services after Chokila Iyer and Nirupama Rao, is the daughter of T V Rajeshwar, the former Intelligence Bureau chief, known to be close to the Congress brass.     

Singh is the wife of former secretary (east) Sanjay Singh, who retired in April.

There were reports she, with other diplomats senior to Jaishankar, was contemplating resignation in case of his elevation.

Her name was cleared after the prime minister returned from his Kashmir visit last week. Though Sujata Singh has not done any diplomatic stint in the neighbourhood, she was undersecretary looking after Nepal from 1982-1985 before her postings in Europe.

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Other contenders

Jaimini Bhagwati, high commissioner to Britain: Formerly envoy to the European Union, Bhagwati is considered a sharp trade negotiator and could have given new direction to economic diplomacy

Sudhir Vyas, secretary (west): The man Sujata Singh replaced in Germany as envoy. He briefly held charge of economic relations and then became secretary (west)

Pinak Ranjan Chakravarty, secretary (economic relations): Formerly envoy to Thailand, Chakravarty was appointed special secretary with public diplomacy as part of his charge