S. Jaishankar

Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, born on January 9, 1955, is an Indian politician and diplomat. He has been the Minister of External Affairs in the Indian government since May 30, 2019, and is a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party. Additionally, he has been a Member of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha since July 5, 2019. Before his current role, Jaishankar served as the Foreign Secretary from January 2015 to January 2018.

Before entering politics, Jaishankar had a distinguished career in the Indian Foreign Service (IFS), which he joined in 1977. Over 38 years, he held various roles both in India and abroad, including serving as the High Commissioner to Singapore (2007-2009) and as Ambassador to the Czech Republic (2001-2004), China (2009-2013), and the U.S. (2014-2015). Notably, he played a crucial role in negotiating the Indo-US civilian nuclear agreement.

After retiring from the foreign service, Jaishankar joined Tata Sons as the President of Global Corporate Affairs. In recognition of his contributions, he was awarded the Padma Shri, India's fourth-highest civilian honor, in 2019. He was sworn in as a cabinet minister in the second Modi Ministry on May 30, 2019, and was appointed as the Minister of External Affairs on May 31, 2019. Notably, he is the first former Foreign Secretary to head the Ministry of External Affairs as a Cabinet Minister.

Early Life and Family

Subrahmanyam Jaishankar was born in Delhi, India, to a well-known family. His father, Krishnaswamy Subrahmanyam, was a respected Indian analyst, journalist, and civil servant in strategic affairs. Jaishankar comes from a Brahmin family and has two brothers: Sanjay Subrahmanyam, a famous historian, and S. Vijay Kumar, who served as the Former Rural Development Secretary of India. His mother was Sulochana Jayasankar.

For his education, Jaishankar attended The Air Force School in Delhi and Bangalore Military School in Bangalore for his schooling. Later, he pursued a bachelor's degree in chemistry from St. Stephen's College in Delhi. Continuing his academic journey, Jaishankar earned an M.A. in political science and completed an M.Phil. and Ph.D. in international relations from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU). His focus at JNU was on nuclear diplomacy.Top of Form

Marriage

Jaishankar was initially married to Shobha until she passed away due to cancer. They first met during their studies at JNU. Afterward, he married Kyoko, who is Japanese. Together, they have two sons named Dhruva and Arjun, as well as a daughter named Medha. Jaishankar is proficient in several languages, including Russian, English, Tamil, and Hindi. Additionally, he has some knowledge of Japanese, Chinese, and even a bit of Hungarian.

Diplomatic Career

After joining the Indian Foreign Service in 1977, Jaishankar began his diplomatic career. He worked as the third secretary and second secretary in Moscow, studying Russian from 1979 to 1981. Returning to New Delhi, he played a vital role as a special assistant to diplomat Gopalaswami Parthasarathy and as undersecretary in the Americas division of India's Ministry of External Affairs, focusing on the United States. Notably, he contributed to resolving the dispute over the supply of U.S. nuclear fuel to the Tarapur Power Stations in India.

From 1985 to 1988, Jaishankar served as the first secretary at the Indian embassy in Washington, D.C. He then went on to work in Sri Lanka as the First Secretary and political adviser to the Indian Peacekeeping Force (IPKF) from 1988 to 1990. Following that, he served as a Counsellor (Commercial) at the Indian Mission in Budapest from 1990 to 1993.

Upon his return to New Delhi, Jaishankar held several significant roles, including Director (East Europe) in the Ministry of External Affairs and as press secretary and speechwriter for the President of India, Shankar Dayal Sharma. Later, he served as the Deputy Chief of Mission at the Indian Embassy in Tokyo from 1996 to 2000, playing a role in improving Indo-Japan relations, especially after India's Pokhran-II nuclear tests.

In 2000, Jaishankar became India's ambassador to the Czech Republic. From 2004 to 2007, he served as Joint Secretary (Americas) at the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi. During this period, he played a crucial role in negotiating the US-India civil nuclear agreement and enhancing defense cooperation. He was actively involved in relief operations following the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami and contributed to agreements like the 2005 New Defense Framework and the Open Skies Agreement.

Jaishankar led the Indian team during the negotiations on the 123 Agreement with the United States in 2006-2007 and represented India at international conferences. He was even considered for the post of India's Foreign Secretary in 2013.

High Commissioner to Singapore

Between 2007 and 2009, Jaishankar worked as India's High Commissioner to Singapore. At this time, he played a crucial role in making the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) happen. This agreement was a big deal because it allowed Indian businesses to grow in Singapore. Additionally, Jaishankar managed a defense arrangement where Singapore could permanently keep some of its military equipment in India. While in Singapore, Jaishankar actively supported events like the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas and IIMPact. These efforts helped strengthen the relationship between India and Singapore, creating more opportunities for collaboration.

Ambassador to China

Jaishankar had the longest term as India's ambassador to China, serving for four and a half years. During his time in Beijing, he worked on strengthening economic, trade, and cultural ties between India and China. He played a role in handling the border dispute between the two countries.

While serving as India's ambassador to China, Jaishankar faced several significant events. In 2010, he briefed the Indian Cabinet Committee on Security about China refusing a visa for the head of the Indian Army's Northern Command. This led to a temporary suspension of Indian defense cooperation with China, which was later resolved in April 2011. In the same year, Jaishankar negotiated the end of China issuing stapled visas to Indians from Jammu and Kashmir. In 2012, he took action against Chinese passports showing disputed territories as part of China. Additionally, in May 2013, he successfully resolved a stand-off in Ladakh's Depsang Plains involving China's People's Liberation Army.

Jaishankar emphasized deeper cooperation with China as long as India's "core interests" were respected. He also advocated for better market access for Indian businesses in China to ensure a more balanced trade relationship. Furthermore, he worked on improving people-to-people contacts between India and China, organizing events across 30 Chinese cities to showcase Indian culture.

Ambassador to the United States

In September 2013, Jaishankar became India's Ambassador to the United States, officially taking charge on December 23, 2013, succeeding Nirupama Rao. His arrival coincided with the Devyani Khobragade incident, and he played a role in negotiating the departure of the Indian diplomat from the United States. On January 29, 2014, Jaishankar spoke at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, discussing the solid foundation of Indian-American ties but noting a "problem of sentiment."

In a formal ceremony on March 10, 2014, Jaishankar presented his credentials to U.S. President Barack Obama at the Oval Office. He was actively involved in planning Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's first visit to the United States in September 2014. Jaishankar not only welcomed Modi upon his arrival but also hosted a dinner in his honor for members of the Indian-American community.

Foreign Secretary

Jaishankar became India's Foreign Secretary on January 29, 2015. His appointment was announced after a meeting of the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on January 28, 2015. However, some Nepalese analysts criticize Jaishankar, accusing him of being the "main planner" behind the 2015 Nepal blockade.

Political Career

Ministry of External Affairs

On May 31, 2019, Jaishankar became the Minister of External Affairs. He officially took office as a Cabinet minister on May 30, 2019. Then, on July 5, 2019, he was chosen as a Member of Parliament by the Bharatiya Janata Party, representing Gujarat in the Rajya Sabha. He took over the position previously held by the late Sushma Swaraj, who served as the External Affairs Minister in Narendra Modi's first government.

In October 2020, Jaishankar, along with the Indian Minister of Defence, Rajnath Singh, met with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and U.S. Secretary of Defense Mark T. Esper. They signed the Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement on Geospatial Cooperation (BECA). This agreement allows the sharing of important information and intelligence, including access to precise data related to navigation, aviation, topography, and geography, between the United States and India. The discussions about this agreement had been ongoing for more than ten years, but concerns about information security had previously led the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) coalition government to reject it. In response, a Chinese spokesperson criticized the move, advising Pompeo to avoid a "Cold War mentality" and to stop emphasizing the 'China threat.'

In November 2022, during a joint press conference with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Jaishankar praised Russia as a long-standing and reliable partner of India. He also advocated for a return to dialogue and peace between Russia and Ukraine. In June 2023, the Associated Press (A.P.) reported that Jaishankar announced India's commitment to its decision not to invite Ukraine to the 2023 G20 summit scheduled to be held in New Delhi, India.

Net Worth

In July 2023, when filing his paperwork for the Rajya Sabha election, S Jaishankar revealed that his combined net worth with his spouse is Rs. 20.09 crore. This represents a growth of 29.4% during his four-year term as a Member of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha. His properties include two houses in Delhi and a 1.5-acre plot of agricultural land in Shimla.

Conclusion

S. Jaishankar is an Indian diplomat and politician who currently serves as India's Minister of External Affairs. With a distinguished career in the Indian Foreign Service, he has played vital diplomatic roles in China and the United States. Jaishankar's contributions encompass strategic agreements, international relations, and effective governance.