Ex-press secretary back to Rashtrapati Bhavan

A former press secretary to the President, S Jaishankar was back at the Rashtrapati Bhavan on Thursday, but this time to take oath as a cabinet minister. For Jaishankar, who served as the press secretary for former President Shankar Dayal Sharma, life came full circle when he took oath as a cabinet minister on the the forecourt of the majestic Rashtrapati Bhavan.

The former foreign secretary, a surprise pick in the Modi government, carries with him more than three decades of diplomatic experience. A 1977-batch IFS officer, Jaishankar is the son of late K Subrahmanyam, one of India's leading strategic analysts.

Jaishankar was also a key member of the Indian team which negotiated the landmark Indo-US nuclear deal.