Venu Rajamony, a career diplomat, has been appointed as press secretary to President Pranab Mukherjee.
Rajamony is joint secretary in the Union Ministry of Finance dealing with international cooperation.
Rajamony is in-charge of multilateral institutions -- International Monetary Fund, World Bank, ADB -- in the Ministry of Finance. He was also Consul General in Dubai and has served nine years in Beijing and Hong Kong.
Rajamony was also director in the External Affairs Minister's office. Interestingly, before he joined the Indian Foreign
Service, he was a reporter at a national daily in Kerala.
Rajamony was private secretary to then foreign minister Yashwant Sinha in the Natiocal Democratic Alliance government and also briefly with K Natwar Singh.
Also joining the President will be
Omita Paul
, a long time aide of Pranab Mukherjee, who was appointed secretary to the President on Wednesday. The appointments committee of the Cabinet approved the appointment of sixty-three-year-old Paul on a contract basis in the rank and pay of secretary.