Before he became India’s top diplomat, he was already its longest-serving ambassador in Beijing. S. Jaishankar has spent almost five decades moving between the foreign service and the world’s toughest postings.
mcqquestion.comInternational Relations · IntlRel0096
S. Jaishankar
Career
Foreign Secretary, 2015-2018.
External Affairs Minister, since May 2019.
Books
The India Way (2020).
Why Bharat Matters (2024).
Why this matters for the exam
A 2024 UPSC prelims question asked who wrote both “The India Way” and “Why Bharat Matters.” Both are S. Jaishankar’s own books.
Must Know.
Diplomat and Author.
Career and Books.
- Birth. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar was born on 9 January 1955, in New Delhi.
- Education. He studied Chemistry at St. Stephen’s College, Delhi, then completed an MA, MPhil, and PhD in International Relations at Jawaharlal Nehru University.
- Foreign Service. He joined the Indian Foreign Service in 1977, and rose over four decades to become Foreign Secretary from 2015 to 2018.
- External Affairs Minister. He has served as India’s Minister of External Affairs since 30 May 2019.
- Two Books. He is the author of “The India Way: Strategies for an Uncertain World” (2020) and “Why Bharat Matters” (2024), both on India’s foreign policy and global strategy.
Previous Year Question.
Asked as: “Who of the following is the author of the books “The India Way” and “Why Bharat Matters”?” This was asked in UPSC CSP 2024, GS Paper I. View this question.
Good to Know.
A Career of Key Postings.
From Moscow to Washington.
- Early Postings. He served in Moscow (1979-1981), Washington D.C. (1985-1988), and Sri Lanka (1988-1990), including as political adviser to the Indian Peacekeeping Force.
- Ambassador to China. He served as India’s Ambassador to China from 2009 to 2013, his longest single posting.
- Ambassador to the US. He then served as India’s Ambassador to the United States, from 2013 to 2015.
- Nuclear Deal Role. As Joint Secretary for the Americas (2004-2007), he was closely involved in negotiating the India-US Civil Nuclear Agreement.
- Padma Shri. He received the Padma Shri, India’s fourth-highest civilian honour, in 2019.
Test Yourself.
Great to Know.
A Rare Career Path.
From Bureaucrat to Minister.
- Corporate Interlude. After retiring as Foreign Secretary, he briefly served as President of Global Corporate Affairs at Tata Sons, from 2018 to 2019, before entering government as a minister.
- A Direct Path. Jaishankar became a Rajya Sabha MP and Cabinet Minister without first serving in the Lok Sabha, an unusual route into a top ministerial post.
- Longest-Serving in the Role. He is recognised as the longest-serving minister to hold the External Affairs portfolio exclusively, without combining it with another ministry.
- Exam Angle. UPSC often tests recent Indian authors and their notable works, especially when the author is also a serving public figure, as with both of Jaishankar’s books.
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