Modi Cabinet 3.0: S Jaishankar takes charge as External Affairs Minister; recounts COVID-19, G20

A day after the Union Cabinet portfolios were announced, Dr S Jaishankar on Tuesday took charge as the External Affairs Minister for the second term. He was among the first 10 ministers, who were sworn in after Prime Minister Narendra Modi took oath on June 9. 

Soon after taking charge as the External Affairs Minister, Jaishankar recounted the G20 summit that took place in September last year. "It is an immense honour to be once again given the responsibility of leading the Ministry of External Affairs. In the last term, this ministry performed exceptionally well. We delivered the G20 presidency," he told news agency ANI. 

He also recounted how the Foreign Ministry led from the front in times of crisis like the COVID-19 pandemic and the evacuation of Indians stranded in neighbouring countries of Ukraine during the Russia-Ukraine war.

"In the last decade, this ministry under the leadership of PM Modi has become a very people-centric ministry. You can see that in terms of our improved passport services, community welfare fund support that we give to Indians abroad," Jaishankar added. 

In his second tenure as the foreign minister, Jaishankar's immediate focus areas would be the challenges due to China's bullying tactics along the border, protecting India's interests in view of the ongoing situation in West Asia and the conflict in Ukraine. 

"As far as Pakistan and China are concerned, the relations with those countries are different, and the problems there are also different. Our focus with regard to China will be on finding a solution to the border issues and with Pakistan, we would want to find a solution to the issue of years-old cross-border terrorism," he explained. 

Known for his sharpness and efficiency, Jaishankar has gained praise within India, especially from the youth, for his clear articulation of India's foreign policy. His public speeches and interviews have become popular online.

In his first tenure, Jaishankar confidently represented India's stance on complex global issues. He has addressed Western criticism of India's oil imports from Russia and developed a strong approach to handle China.

He brought foreign policy into domestic discussions, particularly during India's G20 presidency. He is currently a Rajya Sabha member from Gujarat. Jaishankar joined the Indian Foreign Service in 1977 and served as India's foreign secretary from 2015 to 2018.

He was also Ambassador to the United States, China, and the Czech Republic, and High Commissioner to Singapore. He has held various diplomatic positions in Moscow, Colombo, Budapest, and Tokyo, and worked in the Ministry of External Affairs and the President's Secretariat.

After retiring as foreign secretary, he was the president of Global Corporate Affairs at Tata Sons Private Ltd. Jaishankar graduated from St. Stephen's College, University of Delhi, and holds a Masters in Political Science, an M.Phil, and a PhD in International Relations from Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi.

He received the Padma Shri award in 2019 and is the author of the best-selling book 'The India Way: Strategies for an Uncertain World'.