23 Jul 2019
Five IFS officers who became Ambassadors at a young age
Career
The UPSC Civil Services Examination (CSE), one of the most challenging exams, is conducted for recruitment to various Civil Services, including Indian Foreign Service (IFS).
Many aspire to join IFS, but getting selected for it is no cakewalk. However, there are some candidates who got into IFS and became Ambassadors at a young age.
Here are some youngest IFS officers who became Ambassadors.
#1
Rahul Shrivastava is one of the youngest Indian Ambassadors
![Rahul Shrivastava is one of the youngest Indian Ambassadors]( "Rahul Shrivastava is one of the youngest Indian Ambassadors")
Rahul Shrivastava, a 1999-batch IFS officer, is one of India's youngest ever appointed Ambassadors to any country.
Shrivastava was appointed as the Ambassador of India to Venezuela in 2015 when he was 40 years old. He's currently the Joint Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs.
Before becoming an Ambassador, he had served in several prestigious positions in Russia, Kazakhstan, and the UK too.
#2
Dr. Pradeep Singh Rajpurohit, India's Ambassador to Iraq
![Dr. Pradeep Singh Rajpurohit, India's Ambassador to Iraq]( "Dr. Pradeep Singh Rajpurohit, India's Ambassador to Iraq")
Dr. Pradeep Singh Rajpurohit, an IFS officer of the 2004 batch, was appointed as the Ambassador of India to the Republic of Iraq in 2017.
After graduating from the SN Medical College in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, he appeared for the 2003 UPSC CSE in which he secured AIR-13. The IFS officer was appointed as the Ambassador to Iraq at around 38 years of age.
#3
Abhay Kumar, the youngest among India's current serving Ambassadors
![Abhay Kumar, the youngest among India's current serving Ambassadors]( "Abhay Kumar, the youngest among India's current serving Ambassadors")
Abhay Kumar, a 2003-batch IFS officer, is the youngest among India's current serving Ambassadors.
He was appointed as the Ambassador of India to Madagascar in 2018 when he was only 38.
In 2019, he was concurrently appointed as the Ambassador of India to the Union of the Comoros. He earlier held various diplomatic posts in Russia, Nepal, the UK, and Australia among other countries.
#4
IFS officer Biraja Prasad was India's Ambassador to Tajikistan
![IFS officer Biraja Prasad was India's Ambassador to Tajikistan]( "IFS officer Biraja Prasad was India's Ambassador to Tajikistan")
Late Biraja Prasad, who was an IFS officer of the 1998 batch, is also one of India's youngest Ambassadors to any country.
Prasad, who hailed from Odisha's Bhubaneswar, was appointed as the Ambassador of India to the Republic of Tajikistan in 2015.
Unfortunately, the Ambassador to Tajikistan passed away in 2016 at the age of 43, after suffering a heart attack in Dushanbe.
Information
#5: Former Ambassador Moni Chadha
Former Ambassador Surinder Mohan Singh Chadha, popularly known as Moni Chadha, is also one of the youngest Indian Ambassadors ever. In 1974, when he was only 37 years old, he was reportedly appointed as the Ambassador of India to Argentina.
