With Gokhale's term set to end, speculation over next foreign secy begins

The decision to select a Foreign Secretary does not follow any set pattern or convention

Who is going to be the next foreign secretary? Vijay Gokhale was appointed to the post on January 28, 2018, for a two-year fixed term after the retirement of then Foreign Secretary, S Jaishankar. The latter joined politics and became India’s foreign minister and Gokhale’s immediate boss. This has led to some piquant situations. Gokhale’s term ends in the end of January 2020. There are three probables. One, and the most likely, is India’s man in the US, Harshvardhan Shringla who reportedly has Jaishankar’s ear. He is the most favoured, though many say he might stay on in the US