The suspense over who will be India’s next Foreign Secretary is now over. Senior diplomat Vijay Keshav Gokhale will be the next Foreign Secretary as the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet on Monday approved his name. He will be replacing S Jaishankar. Vijay Keshav Gokhale, a 1981-batch officer has served in the Indian Foreign Service (IFS). He played a key role in Indo-China negotiations last year to resolve the 73-day standoff at Doklam Plateau between Chinese People’s Liberation Army and Indian Army. Doklam is at a tri-junction between Sino-India and Bhutanese border near Sikkim.
Gokhale, a 58-year-old was on the post of secretary (Economic Relations) in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). He was India’s Ambassador to China from January 20, 2016, to October 21, 2017.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi headed The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet which has approved the appointment of Gokhale to the post of foreign secretary in place of S. Jaishankar whose term completes on January 28. The order was issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT).
Vijay Keshav Gokhale will serve for a two-year term. As per rules, the posts of, defense and home secretaries, foreign secretary and CBI and IB chiefs are for a two-year term. Gokhale has also served in the past as India’s top envoy to Germany between October 2013 and January 2016. He has worked in Indian missions in New York, Hong Kong, Hanoi, and Beijing. He has held the posts of director (East Asia and China) and then joint secretary (East Asia) in the Ministry of External Affairs.
Just a few days before his retirement in January 2015, S. Jaishankar was appointed foreign secretary replacing Sujata Singh whose term was curtailed abruptly by the government.
Jaishankar, a 1977-batch IFS officer, was given a one-year extension to his term in January last year. He was also credited with a turnaround in relations with the United States and a highly successful first visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Speculations are on that after completing his term if Jaishankar will be accommodated in the Prime Minister’s Office in some advisory capacity in the coming months
Mr. Vijay Gokhale is an IFS officer of 1981-batch who was appointed as High Commissioner of India to Malaysia from January 2010 to October 2013. He was also appointed as Ambassador of India to Germany from October 2013 to January 2016 and then Ambassador of India to the People’s Republic of China from January 2016 to October 2017.
Gokhale has also served as Deputy Secretary (Finance), Joint Secretary (East Asia) and Director (China & East Asia) during his stints at the Headquarters of the MEA.
Vijay Keshav Gokhale will take over at a time when China has increased its assertiveness in India’s immediate neighborhood and it is a major force to reckon with both globally and regionally. The Foreign Secretary to be will have his task cut out with his recent experience of dealing with Beijing during the 73-day Doklam standoff at the Bhutan tri-junction.
