NEW DELHI: The government on Wednesday extended foreign secretary Vikram Misri’s tenure by one year, a move that will keep him in the post until July 14, 2027.The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet approved Misri’s in accordance with the provisions of Fundamental Rule 56(d), PTI reported.The rule provides for extensions in service beyond the retirement age of 60 years for officials including the defence secretary, foreign secretary, home secretary, director of the Intelligence Bureau, secretary of the Research and Analysis Wing, etc.Career diplomat Misri, a 1989-batch Indian Foreign Service officer, was serving as the deputy National Security Adviser (Dy NSA) before his appointment as foreign secretary in June 2024.He has the rare distinction of serving as private secretary to three prime ministers — Inder Kumar Gujral, Manmohan Singh, and the incumbent, Narendra Modi.Before being appointed as deputy NSA, Misri served as India’s ambassador to China from 2019 to 2021.He is believed to have played a key role in talks between India and China after tensions escalated significantly following the Galwan Valley clashes in June 2020.He has also served as India’s ambassador to Spain (2014-2016) and Myanmar (2016-2018), besides having served in several Indian missions, including in Pakistan, the US, Germany, Belgium, and Sri Lanka.
