FEARLESS TRAILBLAZER

MEET NIRUPAMA MENON RAO, A DISTINGUISHED AND ACCOMPLISHED DIPLOMAT WHO HAS SERVED HER COUNTRY WITH EXCELLENCE AND INTEGRITY AND HAS BEEN A TRAILBLAZER FOR WOMEN IN THE FIELD OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS, BECOMING THE SECOND WOMAN TO HOLD THE POST OF INDIA’S FOREIGN SECRETARY, AS WELL AS THE FIRST WOMAN TO BE INDIA’S AMBASSADOR TO THE UNITED STATES, CHINA AND SRI LANKA

- NAMITA GUPTA

Nirupa ma Rao, Menon served as the woman first spokesperson of the Indian foreign office, as the first Indian woman High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, and the first Indian woman Ambassador to the People's Republic of China.

In her career spanning nearly four decades, the retired Foreign Secretary of India was also India's Ambassador to the United States of America.

In retirement she has taught at Brown and Columbia Universities and is the author of "The Fractured Himalaya: India Tibet China 1949 to 1962", published by Penguin.

She is the founder of the South Asian Symphony Orchestra, a project to promote greater understanding and harmony among South Asians across the world. She has also been a prolific writer, poet and public speaker, sharing her insights and experiences on various global and regional issues. Nirupama is an inspiration and a role model for women who aspire to pursue a career in diplomacy and public service.

1. What was your dream job in your growing up days?

I aspired to be a diplomat from a very young age. I read voraciously over and above what one studied in school and was intensely curious about the world around me. My parents encouraged my love of history and current affairs.

I studied all over India as my father was an army officer and from a very young age, one had a pan-Indian outlook.

I grew up in a very cosmopolitan atmosphere although we led very simple lives. I was a University gold medallist in Bangalore University in 1970 and also topped Marathwada University in my M.A. examination in 1972. I joined the Indian Foreign Service at the age of 22, after completing my university education. I was an all-India topper in the Civil Services Examination for 1973 in both the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) and the Indian Foreign Service (IFS).