With Sujatha Singh being suddenly removed, a Parliamentary Committee on External Affairs could not get a briefing by the Foreign Secretary on matters related to the ministry at a meeting scheduled today.
The Standing Committee of Parliament, headed by Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, met briefly and decided to have a "substantive" meeting at a later date when the new Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar would brief.
The Foreign Secretary was to brief the Committee this morning on crucial issues related to Indian Foreign Service Cadre like recruitment, structure and capacity-building and the need for a separate UPSC examination for cadre.
As Singh was replaced removed last night and her successor Jaishankar took over this morning, another senior official of the ministry came for the meeting with the Committee, sources said.
"The official briefed us on the issue and even took some questions. But as the Committee was to be briefed by the Foreign Secretary, it was decided that the new incumbent should be called for a substantive meeting with the members," a member of the committee said.
The date for the meeting will be decided later.
Singh was suddenly removed from the post of Foreign Secretary last night, curtailing her tenure by eight months.
Jaishankar, India's Ambassador to the US, was appointed in her place. The 1977-batch IFS officer who had only two days to go for his retirement will have a two-year tenure as per the rules.
