While several high-profile postings have already been taken in 2013, including that of the foreign secretary, eligible Indian Foreign Service officers have already started eyeing ambassadorial posts which fall vacant in the new year, some due to retirement and others on completion of the term.
Next year, perhaps, the most attractive post which will be up for grabs is that of Canada. The two-year contract of the current ambassador, former Naval chief Nirmal Varma, will end in the second half of 2014. This will certainly lead to much jostling among senior officers, especially since not too many ‘good’ openings will be coming their way in 2014.
South Africa, Brazil, Turkey, Norway, Jordan, Colombia and Saudi Arabia will also have a vacancy, with the retirement of the current incumbents – Virendra Gupta, Ashok Tomar, Sushmita Gongulee Thomas, R K Tyagi, Riewad V Warjri and Hamid Ali Rao. MEA has already started search for Riyadh where ambassador Rao will retire in April, especially with the post having crucial political and consular agenda, but there has been no short-listing so far.
In the neighbourhood, Bhutan will fall vacant in July on retirement of V P Haran. This is the only ambassadorial opening in South Asia next year, which is considered a feather in the cap for an Indian diplomat due to the importance of the bilateral relationship.
Besides retirement, several envoys have already completed their terms like Mohan Kumar in Manama and Sibabrata Tripathi in Nairobi, so their replacements have to be announced and their future transfer decided.