Anurag Srivastava, an Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer of the 1999 batch, took over on Monday as spokesperson of the external affairs ministry, replacing Raveesh Kumar who is set for an ambassadorial assignment.
Srivastava’s last posting was as the ambassador to Ethiopia and the African Union. Before his assignment as the envoy to Ethiopia, he headed the political wing at the Indian high commission in Sri Lanka and was closely involved in framing and implementing India’s development assistance projects.
He also served at India’s permanent mission to the UN in Geneva, where he dealt with human rights, refugees and trade policy. He has also held different positions in the ministry in New Delhi, including in the Pakistan-Afghanistan-Iran division and in the external publicity (XP) division.
“Honoured and privileged to take over as the Official Spokesperson of @MEAIndia. I look forward to working closely with all to fulfill my responsibilities in this new role,” Srivastava tweeted.
Srivastava has degrees in engineering and business management and did a brief stint in the corporate sector before joining the IFS. He also has a postgraduate diploma in diplomatic studies from Oxford University.
Raveesh Kumar, who served as the public face of the external affairs ministry during the post-Pulwama standoff with Pakistan last year, is an IFS officer of the 1995 batch. He is expected to be given an ambassadorial assignment in Europe, though movements of diplomats are currently restricted because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Time to pass the baton. After 33 months of an incredible opportunity to serve the nation, my best wishes to Anurag Srivastava as the next Official Spokesperson of @MEAIndia,” he tweeted.
Kumar succeed Gopal Baglay as the spokesperson in July 2017, and was the consul general in Frankfurt before becoming the spokesperson. He has also had stints in the Indian missions in Indonesia, Bhutan and the UK and served in the East Asia division of the ministry.