S Jaishankar: All About The Career Diplomat Who Became Foreign Minister In PM Modi Cabinet

Dr Jaishankar is considered close to Prime Minister Modi, whom he nurtured and hand-held through the early days of his reign in Delhi.

New Delhi: Former foreign secretary Dr S. Jaishankar was made the Union Minister of External Affairs on May 31, 2019, after the NDA government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to power for a second time riding an overwhelming majority.

The former Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer is considered close to PM Modi, and it is said it was Jaishankar who guided the latter when he was relatively new to handling international diplomacy.

The bond only grew, and he was made the foreign secretary in January 2015, six months after the BJP formed its first government at the Centre under Modi in 2014. Jaishankar remained on the post until 2018, until his retirement as a civil servant. In May that year, he was appointed president, Global Corporate Affairs, at Tata Sons Private Limited. 

Entry Into Parliament 

The Modi government's return to power in 2019 paved the way for Jaishankar's elevation to the Union Cabinet.

He won the Rajya Sabha election from Gujarat, with the BJP backing his candidature. He was also awarded a Padma Shri in 2019.

Jaishankar is married to Kyoko Jaishankar, who is of Japanese origin, and they have two sons and a daughter.

Jaishankar, The IFS Officer

Jaishankar, a graduate from St. Stephen’s College, Delhi, has an MA in Political Science and an M. Phil and Ph.D in International Relations from Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi. He is also a member of the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London.

Before serving as the foreign secretary from 2015 to 2018, Jaishankar had been India's Ambassador to the United States from 2013-15.

Jaishankar joined the Indian Foreign Service in 1977, and served in different capacities across the world. 

His first postings abroad were as Third and Second Secretary (Political) at the Embassy of India in Moscow from 1979 to 1981. He is known to fluently speak Russian.

From 1981 to 1985, Jaishankar served as Under Secretary (Americas) and Policy Planning in the Ministry of External Affairs.

He then spent three years, from 1985 to 1988, as the First Secretary handling political affairs at the Indian Embassy in Washington, DC, followed by two years as First Secretary and Political Advisor to the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) in Sri Lanka.

In 1990, Dr Jaishankar became Commercial Counsellor in Budapest. After three years in that position, he returned to India to serve first as the Director of East Europe Division of the MEA and then as Press Secretary for the President of India.

Jaishankar went abroad again in 1996, to Tokyo as Deputy Chief of Mission.

In 2000, he was appointed the Ambassador of India to Czech Republic and served in Prague till 2004.

Upon completing his time there, Jaishankar returned to India again, and led the Americas Division in the MEA.

He was India's Ambassador to China from 2009-2013, High Commissioner to Singapore from 2007-2009, and Ambassador to the Czech Republic from 2000-2004.

Jaishankar was closely involved in the negotiations of the India-US nuclear deal right.

It is said he worked the back-channels in the US and China to broker an agreement to de-escalate tensions between Indian and Chinese troops during the July 2017 Doklam crisis.

"Dr. Jaishankar has represented India's interests and fostered friendly working relationships in countries around the world," his profile on India's US Embassy website reads.