Vijay Keshav Gokhale appointed as Foreign Secretary of India

Senior diplomat Vijay Keshav Gokhale was on 1 January 2018 appointed as the Foreign Secretary of India for a two-year fixed term. His appointment was approved by Appointments Committee of the Cabinet.

Gokhale succeeds S Jaishankar, who will complete his tenure on 28 January 2018. Jaishankar was appointed as Foreign Secretary on 29 January 2015 for two years. He was given a one-year extension in January 2017.

About Vijay Keshav Gokhale
• Gokhale is a 1981 batch officer of the Indian Foreign Service (IFS).

• At present, Gokhale is working as Secretary (economic relations) in the Union Ministry of External Affairs.

• Earlier, he served as India's envoy to China. He had played a key role in India-China negotiations in 2017 to resolve the 73-day standoff between Indian Army and Chinese People's Liberation Army at Doklam Plateau, a tri-junction between Sino-India and Bhutanese border near Sikkim.

• Gokhale has served as India's top envoy to Germany between October 2013 and January 2016.

• He has also worked in Indian missions in Hong Kong, Hanoi, Beijing and in New York.

President appoints Vinay Sahasrabuddhe as ICCR President

Jairam Thakur took oath as 14th Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh