Who is Ajay Bisaria, the IFS officer appointed as the new Indian High Commissioner to Pakistan; know all about him

In a diplomatic shuffle, the Centre has decided to appoint Ajay Bisaria, presently Ambassador of India to Republic of Poland and Lithuania, as the Indian High Commissioner to Pakistan, replacing Gautam Bambawale. As per an official statement by the Ministry of External Affairs, Ajay Bisaria, who is a 1987 batch officer of the Indian Foreign Service is expected to take up his assignment shortly. Bisaria, who is known for forging strong partnerships on assignments with other countries and deepening India’s cultural footprint, has also served as India’s representative in the Warsaw-based Community of Democracies. Bisaria has had an impressive work track record as well as academic record. Here are few facts (according to the embassy of India official website) that you must know about India’s new envoy to Pakistan:

1. He received his early education in Mumbai and Delhi. He has a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics from St. Stephen’s College, Delhi University (1980-83), a Master’s in Business Administration from the Indian Institute of Management, Kolkata (1983-85) and a Master’s in Public Policy from Princeton University, US (2008-09).
2. He was posted at the Indian Embassy in Moscow (1988-1991) where he worked as a Soviet internal affairs specialist in the months leading up to the break-up of the USSR.

3. He was posted as First Secretary in the Indian Embassy in Berlin (1995-1999), where he looked after commercial matters at a time of rising economic engagement between Germany and India.

4. Ajay Bisaria was appointed Private Secretary to the Prime Minister of India in 1999, and served in this capacity till 2004. During most of this period, he also served as an aide to the then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

5. He was also posted to the World Bank in Washington D.C. as Advisor to the Executive Director for South Asia (2004-2008), where he worked on development projects and aid issues.

Ajay Bisaria, who is a voracious reader, with a passion for English fiction and a deep interest in yoga is married to environmentalist and writer Bharati Chaturvedi, the founder of the NGO, Chintan.