Shivshankar Menon
Shivshankar Menon | |
|---|---|
 Shivshankar Menon (right) shaking hands with David Mulford | |
| National Security Advisor | |
| In office January 17, 2010- Incumbent | |
| Preceded by | M K Narayanan |
| Indian Foreign Secretary | |
| In office September 1, 2006-July 31, 2009 | |
| Preceded by | Shyam Saran |
| Succeeded by | Nirupama Rao |
| Personal details | |
| Born | July 5, 1949 Ottapalam, Kerala, India |
| Residence(s) | New Delhi, India |
| Occupation | Diplomat, National Security Adviser |
Shivshankar Menon or Sivasankara Menon (Malayalam: ശിവശങ്കര് മേനോന്, Hindi: शिवशंकर मेनोन) is the present[1] National Security Advisor (NSA) to the Prime Minister of India. He previously served as the Foreign Secretary, the Indian High Commissioner to Pakistan and in China and Israel as ambassador and diplomat[2][3].
Early life and education
Menon hails from Ottapalam in Palakkad district of Kerala. His father Parappil Narayana Menon was also a career diplomat and served as the ambassador of Yugoslavia in his last days. His grandfather K P S Menon (senior) was India's first foreign secretary, while K P S Menon (Jr), the former Indian ambassador to China, is his uncle.[3]
Menon did his schooling from Scindia School, Gwalior, and later did his MA in History from Delhi University.
Career
Menon started his career with 1972 batch of the Indian Foreign Service[2].
He had a stint in the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) as an of an Advisor to the Atomic Energy Commission. This work continued through his posting in Vienna. He was then posted to Beijing, the first of three positions he served in China. His last position in China as ambassador was also significant as it marked improvement in Sino-India relations, the high point being the visit of then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Menon has also served as Ambassador to Israel and High Commissioner to Sri Lanka and Pakistan in the last decade. He was appointed Foreign Secretary in 2006, and is currently the National Security Advisor to the Prime Minister.
Another milestone in his career was the Indo-US nuclear deal, for which he worked so hard to convince NSG nations to get a clean waiver for nuclear supplies to India.
Personal life
He is married to Mohini Menon and has a daughter and a son. His mother tongue is Malayalam and he also speaks Chinese and German[2].
In spite of his busy schedule in the Indian Foreign Service he has managed to keep up with his interests in classical music and the Himalayas. The Scindia School conferred on Shivshankar Menon the "Madhav Award" as an alumnus of eminence for the year 2000.[4]
References
- ^ "Shiv Shankar Menon is new National Security Advisor". rediff.com.
- ^ a b c "Profile of Foreign Secretary Mr. Shivshankar Menon". Embassy of India, Washington DC.
- ^ a b "Menon is next NSA". The Hindu. January 21, 2010.
- ^ Madhav Awardees: Shiv Shankar Menon, 2000 Scindia School website.