The appointment of Mumbai police commissioner Javed Ahmad as India’s ambassador to Saudi Arabia is a rare assignment for an IPS officer. The last time an IPS officer was made ambassador was Julio Ribeiro when he was sent to Romania. Mr Ribeiro had been Mumbai police commissioner from 1982 to 1985. Mr Ahmad seems to have struck a purple patch quite late in his career. Though eligible to become police commissioner, he was pipped to the post by Rakesh Maria, a favourite of the earlier Congress-NCP government. Fortunately for Mr Ahmad, BJP Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis shifted Mr Maria out and brought him in as Mumbai’s top cop, just four months before he was due for retirement. To do so, he also upgraded the post to the rank of DGP. Sources say that Mr Fadnavis also pushed for Mr Ahmad’s nomination as ambassador to Saudi Arabia, a post which has been vacant since April 2015.
MEA’s expanding role
After foreign secretary S. Jaishankar took over last year, the ministry of external affairs has been slowly expanding its domestic influence. While diplomacy and engagement with foreign countries obviously remains its mainstay, it is also placing IFS officers in other government ministries and departments. That’s an old practice, especially in the ministries of petroleum and commerce, where some posts were kept for MEA officials. But these had fallen into disuse over the years due to paucity of IFS officers. That’s no longer the case.
The RAW will now add a joint secretary-level IFS officer to its spy ranks. Babu watchers say that A.G. Sarma, a 1986-batch IFS officer, is a frontrunner for this new position. Shambu Kumaran is slated to join the ministry of defence to look after international cooperation, a post held by the IAS cadre for nearly a decade. There is talk that a post will be also be filled by an IFS in the ministry of finance.
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