Randhir Jaiswal succeeds Arindam Bagchi as new MEA spokesperson

Senior diplomat Randhir Jaiswal replaces Arindam Bagchi, who has been appointed India's permanent representative to the United Nations (UN) and other international organisations in Geneva.

New Delhi: Senior diplomat Randhir Jaiswal on Wednesday assumed charge as the new spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) succeeding Arindam Bagchi.

Bagchi has been appointed India's permanent representative to the United Nations (UN) and other international organisations in Geneva.

Jaiswal, a 1998 batch Indian Foreign Service officer, was serving as India's consul general in New York in his previous posting.

In his over two decades of service, Jaiswal served in Cuba, South Africa, Portugal and at India's permanent mission to the UN in New York.

He also served as a joint secretary at the MEA's headquarters in New Delhi looking after India's relations with countries in western Europe.

"The baton passes on! Shri Randhir Jaiswal assumes charge as the Official Spokesperson of @MEAIndia as Shri Arindam Bagchi proceeds on overseas assignment,' a post on X by MEA spokesperson said.

Jaiswal, who hails from Bihar, was serving as the consul general in India's mission in New York from July 2020.

Bagchi, a 1995-batch Indian Foreign Service (IFS) official, took over as spokesperson of the MEA in March 2020 and handled a number of critical issues and developments including the eastern Ladakh border row, India's COVID-19 response and New Delhi's G20 presidency.

In Geneva, Bagchi, an additional secretary, succeeds Indra Mani Pandey who is returning to New Delhi.