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Vikram Misri is an experienced Indian diplomat who is the 35th Foreign Secretary of India, a post he took up on July 15, 2024, after Vinay Mohan Kwatra. He has been a key spokesperson in the recent India-Pakistan conflict communications of the Indian government after “Operation Sindoor.” Read this article to know all about Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri in detail.
India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri Faced Online Abuse Over Ceasefire with Pakistan
Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri faced online abuse as many targeted him, his daughters, and the rest of his family after India’s de-escalation accord with Pakistan over the weekend. As soon as Misri broke the news on Saturday, he was hit by severe online trolling, and before long, numerous senior diplomats and politicians came to his defence.
Thereafter, he had to put his social media account on private mode after users went through his older posts, shared his personal photographs and even provided personal contact details associated with his family members. Abuse extended beyond criticism of policy. His daughter was also subjected to gross and misogynistic remarks.
IAS, IPS associations condemn ‘unwarranted personal attacks’ on India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri: ‘Utterly shameful’
Mr Vikram Misri is a good, honest, hard-working diplomat who works day and night for our country. Our bureaucrats work under the executive, this should be kept in mind & they should not be held responsible for the actions of the executive or any political leadership.
Who is Vikram Misri?
Early Life and Education
Vikram Misri was born on November 7, 1964, in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir. Ambassador Misri was born in Srinagar and received his early education there (Burn Hall School and DAV School) and in Udhampur (Carmel Convent School) in Jammu and Kashmir.
He completed his high school from Scindia School, Gwalior and then pursued a Bachelor’s degree with Honours in History from Hindu College, University of Delhi and an MBA from XLRI, Jamshedpur. Prior to his government association, he had a private sector stint lasting three years across the areas of advertising (Contract Advertising – Delhi and Lintas India – Bombay) and film-making advertising.
Diplomatic Career
- He is a career diplomat belonging to the 1989 batch of the Indian Foreign Service (IFS).
- He has served in several key positions, including:
- Deputy National Security Adviser (Strategic Affairs) of India (from 01 January 2022 to 30 June 2024).
- India’s Ambassador to China (January 2019 to December 2021), before Pradeep Kumar Rawat.
- India’s Ambassador to Myanmar in 2016.
- India’s Ambassador to Spain in 2014.
- Deputy High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka.
- Consul General of India in Munich.
- He has also held posts at Indian missions in Brussels, Tunis, Islamabad, and Washington D.C.
- He has served in the Ministry of External Affairs’ Pakistan desk and held the staff positions of two Foreign Ministers (I.K. Gujral and Pranab Mukherjee).
- He has held the position of Private Secretary to three Prime Ministers of India (I.K. Gujral, Dr. Manmohan Singh, and Narendra Modi).
Personal Life
- He is married to Dolly Misri and has two children.
- Vikram Misri is fluent in English, Hindi, and Kashmiri languages, with a working knowledge of French.
- Misri is also a Kamalnayan Bajaj Fellow of the Aspen Institute’s India Leadership Initiative. His varied experiences and consistent leadership have established him as a well-respected individual in India’s diplomatic community.