 "Randhir Jaiswal takes over as Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson")
Randhir Jaiswal has officially assumed the position of the Official Spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs, succeeding Arindam Bagchi, who has been appointed as India's Permanent Representative to the United Nations and other international organisations in Geneva. The announcement came through a post by news agency ANI, on Wednesday.
Arindam Bagchi, a 1995-batch Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer and Additional Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs, took over as the spokesperson in March 2021. His tenure coincided with significant global events, including the challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic, the military standoff with China in eastern Ladakh, India hosting the G20 Summit in September, and increased diplomatic engagements with various partners, including the recent India-Canada tensions.
Randhir Jaiswal, who will be succeeding Bagchi, is an officer from the 1998 batch of the Indian Foreign Service (IFS) and previously served as the consul general of India to New York. Jaiswal assumed the role of consul general in July 2020, navigating the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic, where he played a crucial role in facilitating the repatriation of stranded Indian tourists, students, and diaspora members. He officially concluded his term in New York on November 26, 2023.
Jaiswal's diplomatic career includes postings in Portugal, Cuba, South Africa, and India's permanent mission to the United Nations in New York.
Jaiswal's initiatives during his time as consul general included the launch of a Mobile App consolidating visa and overseas citizenship of India (OCI) services, featuring a unique Chat Bot named Bharati to assist applicants with frequently asked queries. Another innovation, Pramit 2.0, provides applicants with real-time updates on their application status.
(With agency inputs)