Syed Akbaruddin

HYDERABAD: At least three diplomats with roots in Telangana are holding fort for India at the UN at a time when Pakistan and China are raising the stakes at international forums on the abrogation of Article 370 . Of the three IFS officers, two – Syed Akbaruddin and K Nagaraj Naidu who are from Hyderabad – hold top ranks.

Akbaruddin, a 1985-batch IFS officer, has been Indian ambassador and permanent representative to the UN since January 2016. He was a student of prestigious Hyderabad Public School and graduated from Osmania University. The 59-year-old hit the headlines recently for shaking hands with Pakistan journalists in the UN to suggest that India was reaching out and starting a dialogue.

Akbaruddin’s father, Syed Basheeruddin, was ambassador to Qatar. Prior to that, Basheeruddin was head of journalism and communication department at Osmania University. He also served as vice-chancellor of Dr B R Ambedkar Open University.

Another Hyderabadi and second-in-command at the permanent mission to the UN, Kakanur Nagaraj Naidu, has been working as deputy permanent representative. The 1998 batch IFS officer holds a BA from Nizam college in Hyderabad and later completed his master’s degree in law and diplomacy from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University, USA.

Naidu, who worked for more than 11 years in China in various capacities as third, second and first secretary, speaks Chinese fluently. He spoke on Jammu and Kashmir in the UN in June, 2018 and made India’s stand that J&K is an integral and inevitable part of India clear.

Another IFS officer belonging to the 2007 batch, Sandeep, Kumar Bayyapu, is in the Indian team at the UN and is working as first secretary of permanent mission. The 37-year-old IFS officer hails from Kazipally village in Peddapally district in Telangana and studied in Hyderabad.

Sandeep deals with issues such as peacekeeping, humanitarian issues, Security Council (Africa, Peacekeeping, SEA, Non-Proliferation) and UN Cooperation with Regional Organizations (AU, IOM, etc.) Commonwealth.

