Shyam Saran to quit as PM's special envoy on March 14

File photo of Special Envoy Shyam Saran.

Mr Shyam Saran, the Special Envoy of the Prime Minister for Indo-United States nuclear issues and for Climate Change, will quit his position in the Prime Minister's Office with effect from March 14.

A one-line statement from the PMO said Mr Saran had been permitted to demit office with effect from March 14.

No reasons were given for Mr Saran's decision, but there have been media reports that he was unhappy about having been overlooked for the National Security Adviser's position, which went to Mr Shivshankar Menon, who was appointed to the key position on January 21.

Mr Menon, who had succeeded Mr Saran as Foreign Secretary in 2006, has the status of Minister of State as NSA. This made the position of Mr Saran, who was Mr Menon's senior in the Indian Foreign Service, in the PMO rather awkward and he is understood to have been thinking of resigning from his post ever since.

In between, there were reports that Mr Saran might also get the status of Minister of State.

Mr Saran, 63, belonged to the 1970 batch of the Indian Foreign Service (IFS). In a long and distinguished career, he had served as Indian Ambassador to Nepal, Indonesia and Myanmar and as High Commissioner to Mauritius. He also had postings as a Joint Secretary in the PMO and in the Indian missions in Tokyo and Beijing.

The highlight of his career was, of course, the negotiations for the Indo-US Civil Nuclear Cooperation Agreement of July, 2005. He continued to be involved in the negotiations related to the deal with members of the Nuclear Suppliers Group and, after retirement, was made the Prime Minister's Special Envoy for nuclear issues. The climate change assignment was added later.

NNN