One seasoned diplomat will succeed another as Shiv Shankar Menon will take over as Foreign Secretary from Shyam Saran on October 1.
Holding a Masters in History from Delhi University, 57-year-old Menon has superseded several Foreign Service officials to get the coveted post. Currently, he is India's High Commissioner to Pakistan and has previously served in China, Israel, Austria, Japan and Sri Lanka.
Experts are already lauding the decision to appoint Menon as Foreign Secretary, thereby ensuring that the prime minister will continue to receive experienced advice from the office.
Meanwhile, current incumbent Shyam Saran will, from October, be special envoy for negotiations on the Indo-US nuclear deal, which he has been a crucial part of.
Image: Shiv Shankar Menon at a reception in Karachi some months ago
Photograph: Asif Hassan/AFP/Getty Images
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