Smooth Ascent
THE WEEK|January 14, 2018

Vijay Gokhale’s appointment as foreign secretary was on expected lines

Rekha Dixit
Smooth Ascent

In January 2015, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi decided to appoint S. Jaishankar as his foreign sec-retary, there were ripples in babudom. Jaishankar, then ambassador to the US, was barely three months from retirement while the then foreign secretary Sujatha Singh’s term was to end only in August. A peeved Singh made way for Jaishankar, who had earned Modi’s trust with his successful handling of the prime minister’s maiden visit to the US. When Jaishankar’s two-year term ended, it was extended by another year.

When the appointments committee of the cabinet announced Vijay Gokhale as the next foreign secretary on January 1, there were no ripples. It was an expected appointment, as Gokhale was next in line. His role in helping defuse the Doklam standoff was a plus. Gokhale, as ambassador to China during the standoff, was one of the three diplomats (the others being Jaishankar and National Security Adviser Ajit Doval) whose adept handling helped resolve the situation.

Gokhale has the seniority, experience and track record. A 1981-batch Indian Foreign Service officer, he has the advantage of being a China expert. Well versed in Mandarin, and having specialised in the region, he brings to the post an expertise that may be needed time and again.

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة January 14, 2018 من THE WEEK.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة January 14, 2018 من THE WEEK.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.

المزيد من القصص من THE WEEK مشاهدة الكل
POSTERS OF PROTEST
THE WEEK India

POSTERS OF PROTEST

Appupen is a cartoonist who has published a few graphic novels, the latest being Dream Machine, about how AI can be a great 1 tool for an! authoritarian regime.

time-read
1 min  |
December 29, 2024
CLASH OF THE CIVILISATION
THE WEEK India

CLASH OF THE CIVILISATION

Even as the discovery of the Indus Valley Civilisation completes a century, some key aspects of this ancient culture remain mysterious, including its script. While the controversy over whether it was disrupted by an Aryan invasion may now be discredited, the debate over Indus ancestry and current links continues

time-read
10+ mins  |
December 29, 2024
A PROVEN PATHWAY TO PEACE
THE WEEK India

A PROVEN PATHWAY TO PEACE

Low-cost, easy to implement, immediate results, and scientifically verified.

time-read
10+ mins  |
December 29, 2024
FOOTBALL GIVES THEM A KICK
THE WEEK India

FOOTBALL GIVES THEM A KICK

For the children of Manipur and Mizoram, the great game is a way to a prosperous future

time-read
10 mins  |
December 29, 2024
BATTLE FOR TOMORROW
THE WEEK India

BATTLE FOR TOMORROW

Over the past decade, much has been said about India's potential as a leading global power.

time-read
1 min  |
December 29, 2024
THE TONGUE THAT TURNED
THE WEEK India

THE TONGUE THAT TURNED

Why Greek survived while Latin and Sanskrit declined

time-read
9 mins  |
December 29, 2024
USTAD ZAKIR HUSSAIN 1951-2024: HIS MUSIC WAS THERAPY TO THE WORLD
THE WEEK India

USTAD ZAKIR HUSSAIN 1951-2024: HIS MUSIC WAS THERAPY TO THE WORLD

Flautist and Grammy co-winner Rakesh Chaurasia remembers the maestro

time-read
6 mins  |
December 29, 2024
The magic of indigo
THE WEEK India

The magic of indigo

I really can't imagine why more of us don't throng Goa each December for the Serendipity Arts Festival alone. The festival, in its ninth year now, has the entire Panjim town celebrating.

time-read
2 mins  |
December 29, 2024
NEW YEAR.NEW HOPE
THE WEEK India

NEW YEAR.NEW HOPE

EQUITY MARKETS HAVE TURNED VOLATILE OF LATE. WHAT TO EXPECT IN THE NEW YEAR

time-read
4 mins  |
December 29, 2024
Seeking middle ground in Middle East
THE WEEK India

Seeking middle ground in Middle East

The collapse of assumptions is like the end of the world-or worldview. We assumed conwith the 20th century. But wars in Russia-Ukraine, Gaza, Yemen, Sudan, Somalia and Lebanon prove us wrong. Western defence officials now raise the nuclear threat level.

time-read
2 mins  |
December 29, 2024