Shiv Shankar Menon
Encyclopedia
Shivshankar Menon or Sivasankara Menon is the present National Security Advisor
(NSA) to the Prime Minister of India
. He previously served as the Foreign Secretary, the India
n High Commissioner to Pakistan
and in China
and Israel
as ambassador and diplomat. He is the third Malayali
in a row in the post of NSA after J N Dixit and M K Narayanan.
in Palakkad
district of Kerala
. He comes from a family of diplomats and aristocrats.His father Parappil Narayana Menon was also a career diplomat and served as the ambassador to Yugoslavia in his last days. His grandfather K. P. S. Menon (senior) was India's first foreign secretary, while K. P. S. Menon (Jr), the former Indian ambassador to China, is his uncle.
Menon did his schooling from Scindia School
, Gwalior, and later did his MA
in History from Delhi University.
.
He served the Department of Atomic Energy
(DAE) as Advisor to the Atomic Energy Commission. This work continued through his posting in Vienna. He was then posted to Beijing, the first of three positions he served in China. His last position in China as ambassador was also significant as it marked improvement in Sino-India relations, the high point being the visit of then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee
. Menon has also served as Ambassador to Israel and High Commissioner to Sri Lanka and Pakistan. He was appointed Foreign Secretary in 2006, and is currently the National Security Advisor to the Prime Minister.
A major milestone of his career was the Indo-US nuclear deal, for which he worked so hard to convince NSG nations to get a clean waiver for nuclear supplies to India.
.
In spite of his busy schedule in the Indian Foreign Service he has managed to keep up with his interests in classical music and the Himalayas. The Scindia School conferred on Shivshankar Menon the "Madhav Award" as an alumnus of eminence for the year 2000.
National Security Advisor (India)
The National Security Advisor of India is a member of the National Security Council , and the primary advisor to the Prime Minister, the Indian Cabinet and the NSC on internal and international security issues.-Overview:...
(NSA) to the Prime Minister of India
Prime Minister of India
The Prime Minister of India , as addressed to in the Constitution of India — Prime Minister for the Union, is the chief of government, head of the Council of Ministers and the leader of the majority party in parliament...
. He previously served as the Foreign Secretary, the India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n High Commissioner to Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
and in China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
and Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
as ambassador and diplomat. He is the third Malayali
Malayali
Malayali is the term used to refer to the native speakers of Malayalam, originating from the Indian state of Kerala...
in a row in the post of NSA after J N Dixit and M K Narayanan.
Early life and education
Menon hails from OttapalamOttapalam
Ottapalam is a town in Palakkad District of Kerala state in India. It is also the headquarters of Ottapalam taluk. Situated on the banks of the Bharathappuzha river , it has a rich cultural heritage and has played host to many historic events. It is famous for having several films shot here...
in Palakkad
Palakkad
Palakkad , formerly known as Palghat, is a municipality and a town in the state of Kerala in southern India, spread over an area of 26.60 km2.The city is situated about north of state capital Thiruvananthapuram. It is the administrative headquarters of Palakkad District...
district of Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
. He comes from a family of diplomats and aristocrats.His father Parappil Narayana Menon was also a career diplomat and served as the ambassador to Yugoslavia in his last days. His grandfather K. P. S. Menon (senior) was India's first foreign secretary, while K. P. S. Menon (Jr), the former Indian ambassador to China, is his uncle.
Menon did his schooling from Scindia School
Scindia School
The Scindia School is Indian boarding school for boys, established in 1897, and situated in a historic fortress known as Gwalior Fort, in the city of Gwalior, India...
, Gwalior, and later did his MA
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
in History from Delhi University.
Career
Menon started his career in 1972 with the Indian Foreign ServiceIndian Foreign Service
The Indian Foreign Service is the foreign service of India. It is the body of career diplomats of India.The Indian Foreign Service is part of the Central Civil Services of the Government of India...
.
He served the Department of Atomic Energy
Department of Atomic Energy (India)
The Department of Atomic Energy is a department directly under the Prime Minister of India with headquartered in Mumbai. The department is responsible for nuclear technology, including nuclear power and research....
(DAE) as Advisor to the Atomic Energy Commission. This work continued through his posting in Vienna. He was then posted to Beijing, the first of three positions he served in China. His last position in China as ambassador was also significant as it marked improvement in Sino-India relations, the high point being the visit of then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee
Atal Bihari Vajpayee
Atal Bihari Vajpayee is an Indian statesman who served as the tenth Prime Minister of India three times – first for a brief term of 13 days in 1996, and then for two terms from 1998 to 2004. After his first brief period as Prime Minister in 1996, Vajpayee headed a coalition government from...
. Menon has also served as Ambassador to Israel and High Commissioner to Sri Lanka and Pakistan. He was appointed Foreign Secretary in 2006, and is currently the National Security Advisor to the Prime Minister.
A major milestone of his career was the Indo-US nuclear deal, for which he worked so hard to convince NSG nations to get a clean waiver for nuclear supplies to India.
Personal life
He is married to Mohini Menon and has a daughter and a son. His mother tongue is Malayalam and he also speaks Chinese and GermanGerman language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
.
In spite of his busy schedule in the Indian Foreign Service he has managed to keep up with his interests in classical music and the Himalayas. The Scindia School conferred on Shivshankar Menon the "Madhav Award" as an alumnus of eminence for the year 2000.