Indian Diplomat, Ruchira Kamboj Retires after 35 Years of Service

By: WE Staff | Monday, 3 June 2024

Ruchira Kamboj, India's first woman Permanent Representative to the United Nations, retired after 35 years of service. She served as an Indian envoy in Bhutan, South Africa, and UNESCO. She navigated UN discussions during the Russia-Ukraine and Israel-Hamas wars over the last two years. She expressed her gratitude and posted on X, "Thank you, Bharat, for the extraordinary years and unforgettable experiences."

Ruchira Kamboj, born in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India, is an accomplished Indian diplomat with a background in academic and military service. She holds a Master of Arts degree in Political Science from Delhi University and studied at the London School of Economics. In 1987, she topped the Civil Services Examination in the women's category and began her diplomatic journey in Paris, France, serving as Third Secretary from 1989 to 1991 and Second Secretary in the Indian Embassy to France and further in Delhi's Europe West Division. Ruchira has held diplomatic positions in Paris, France, India's Ministry of External Affairs, and South Africa.

India's Permanent Representative/Ambassador, Ruchira, was appointed on August 2, 2022. Fluent in Hindi, English, and French, she previously served as a Counsellor at India's Permanent Mission to the UN in New York, dealing with a wide range of political concerns, such as UN Peacekeeping, UN Security Council Reform, the Middle East crisis, etc. She also worked as the Deputy Head of the Office of the Secretary-General at the Commonwealth Secretariat London, and the first female Chief of Protocol, in India. In May 2014, the Ministry of External Affairs assigned her a special assignment to direct the swearing-in ceremony of PM Narendra Modi in Delhi.