The minister shot back, saying things have changed a lot since his days.
"That time has gone. Now Foreign Ministry has challenges and as I had said in the heads of missions conference, we talked about only development, our new vision and our new vigour. Foreign Ministry is today working with a new vision and vigour and not playing chess," Swaraj said.
The Union minister was the keynote speaker and Singh was anchoring a session a the Third Annual Growth Net Summit here.
"Once somebody asked T N Kaul, a veteran foreign secretary, to define Foreign Ministry. He had said the Foreign Ministry is all about three things -- alcohol, protocol and T N Kaul," she said, winding up her speech amid loud cheers.
You’ve reached your limit of {{free_limit}} free articles this month.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
Already subscribed? Log in
Subscribe to read the full story →
Smart Quarterly
₹900
3 Months
₹300/Month
Smart Essential
₹2,700
1 Year
₹225/Month
Super Saver
₹3,900
2 Years
₹162/Month
Renews automatically, cancel anytime
Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans
Exclusive premium stories online
Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors


Complimentary Access to The New York Times
News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic
Business Standard Epaper
Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share


Curated Newsletters
Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox
Market Analysis & Investment Insights
In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor


Archives
Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997
Ad-free Reading
Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements


Seamless Access Across All Devices
Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app
