Randhir Jaiswal, a 1998-batch IFS officer, has assumed charge as the official spokesperson of the Ministry of Externals Official, replacing Arindam Bagchi.?

Taking to microblogging platform X, outgoing MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi informed of the development and wrote, "The baton passes on!"

The change in charge comes as Arindam Bagchi now will proceed to take charge as India's permanent representative to the United Nations (UN) and other international organisations in Geneva.

A 1998-batch IFS officer, Randhir Jaiswal before this was the Consul General for India in New York. Jaiswal has also served in the External Affairs Ministry as deputy secretary and used to look?after relations with the United States and as joint secretary.

Bidding Farewell to Randhir Jaiswal, the Consul General of India in New York in a post on X had expressed appreciation?for his "exemplary leadership and significant achievements."

Arindam Bagchi, a 1995-batch Indian Foreign Service (IFS) official, took over as MEA spokesperson in March 2021 and was at the forefront during several critical issues like the eastern Ladakh border row, India's Covid response, New Delhi's G20 presidency and multiple rescue operations that were necessitated by development overseas.

In Geneva, Bagchi would succeed Indra Mani Pandey who is set to return to New Delhi.

Earlier, Arindam Bagchi served as ambassador to Croatia and deputy high commissioner to Sri Lanka. He also had a stint in the Prime Minister's Office as a director as well as at India's permanent mission at the UN in New York.