Government prepares to appoint Bairagi as Nepal’s envoy to India

KATHMANDU: The government is preparing to appoint Shankar Das Bairagi, the former Chief Secretary, as Nepal’s ambassador to India.

The ruling coalition of the CPN-UML and Nepali Congress has agreed to nominate Bairagi for this position.

According to the high-level agreement between the two parties, the UML will appoint ambassadors to the United States of America, China, England, and Russia.

Meanwhile, the Nepali Congress will recommend ambassadors to India, Japan, Australia, and Malaysia.

Dr. Shankar Sharma currently holds the position of ambassador to India.

The government has decided to recall Sharma.

Who is Shanker Das Bairagi?

Born in Parbat in 1966, Shanker Das Bairagi is recognized as an expert in foreign affairs.

He has served as the Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and as the Chief Secretary.

Bairagi joined the Nepali Foreign Service in December 1987 and became Foreign Secretary on October 11, 2015.

Over his three-decade career in the Foreign Service, Bairagi has held various positions at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Nepali missions abroad.

He served as Acting Foreign Secretary from February 2014 to October 10, 2015.

Bairagi has also been the Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Nepal to the United Nations Office, the World Trade Organization, and other international organizations in Geneva.

He was concurrently accredited as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Nepal to the Swiss Confederation and the Republic of Italy from February 2012 to November 2013.

Additionally, he served as Second/First Secretary at the Embassy of Nepal in New Delhi from August 1995 to May 1998, and as Counsellor/Minister-Counsellor/Deputy Chief of Mission at the Embassy of Nepal to the Benelux Countries and the Mission of Nepal to the European Union from April 2000 to June 2004.

Bairagi holds a Law degree from Nepal Law Campus and a Master’s Degree in Political Science from Tribhuvan University.

He also earned a Master’s Degree in European Integration and Development (Euromaster) from the Free University of Brussels in 2002.