Shilendra Kumar Singh - Career - Career As A Diplomat

Career As A Diplomat

In February 1989, Singh was appointed Foreign Secretary of India. He held the personal rank of Grade-I Ambassador, the highest in the Indian Foreign Service. Prior to becoming Foreign Secretary, he was India's longest serving Ambassador to Pakistan from 1985 until 1989. He also served as Ambassador to Austria from 1982–1985, Additional Foreign Secretary from 1979–1982, Ambassador to Afghanistan from 1977–1979 and Ambassador concurrently to Jordan, Lebanon and Cyprus from 1974-1977. He was the longest-serving Official Spokesman of the Government of India from 1969-74. In 1968-69 he served in the Ministry of Commerce as Director Foreign Trade.

Singh began his career in the Indian Foreign Service in 1954. From 1956 to 1959, he was Third Secretary in Iran and concurrently attended the Tehran University to study the Persian language. From 1959-62 he was assigned to various desks in the Foreign Office in Delhi. From 1962-68 he was a member of the Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations in New York.

Singh was President of the Group of 77 and also served as India's Governor on the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna. Singh has been a member of 19 Indian delegations to the UN General Assembly and the United Nations Commission on Human Rights. Singh has monitored for the Commonwealth and the United Nations, general elections in South Africa, Kenya, Algeria, Lesotho, Malawi and Sierra Leone and the presidential election in Sri Lanka. Singh is rated among the most distinguished in his generation of Indian diplomats.

Singh has taught History at Agra University. He was a Visiting Professor and Member of the Academic Council of Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi.