Ex-Diplomat S Jaishankar, Expert On China, Takes Over Foreign Ministry

Former foreign secretary Subrahmanyam Jaishankar was today named Minister of External Affairs in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's new cabinet, replacing BJP leader Sushma Swaraj who held the post in PM Modi's first cabinet. A career diplomat with extensive experience in bilateral relations with China, the United States and Pakistan, he becomes one of two new faces in the powerful Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS); the other is Home Minister Amit Shah, PM Modi's closest confidante and chief strategist.