President of India nominates four to Rajya Sabha including former foreign secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla

Son of Darjeeling and Distinguished Diplomat Nominated to Rajya Sabha

KalimNews, July 13, 2025, Darjeeling : In a significant move reflecting the nation’s recognition of distinguished service in diplomacy, law, history, and social work, the President of India has nominated four eminent personalities to the Rajya Sabha. Among the newly appointed members is Harsh Vardhan Shringla, one of India’s most seasoned diplomats, who now prepares to carry his expertise to the upper house of Parliament. 

Alongside him, the nominations include celebrated public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam, respected social worker C. Sadanandan Master, and historian Dr. Meenakshi Jain. The nominations were made under the President’s quota, which allows for the induction of 12 exceptional individuals from various fields into the Rajya Sabha.

Harsh Vardhan Shringla, born on May 1, 1962, in Mumbai, to Sikkimese parents—Tshering Tendufla, a retired civil servant, and Hari Devi Basnet, a homemaker—has had a remarkable career in India’s diplomatic corps. His surname, "Shringla," evolved from the original family name “Tshering La,” phonetically identical but adapted in official documents during his early education in Bombay. Raised in different parts of India owing to his father’s postings, Shringla has always identified closely with his roots in the Eastern Himalayas, particularly Darjeeling, where his family maintains deep ties and owns the iconic Ivanhoe House on the Mall Road.

An alumnus of Mayo College, Ajmer and St. Stephen's College, Delhi, Shringla entered the Indian Foreign Service in 1984, securing an impressive 15th rank in the Civil Services Examination out of over 137,000 candidates. His distinguished 38-year career saw him posted in key global capitals and institutions—starting at India’s mission to UNESCO in Paris and spanning Vietnam, Israel, South Africa, and the United Nations in New York. He eventually rose to serve as the Foreign Secretary of India from 2020 to 2022 and later played a pivotal role as Chief Coordinator for India’s G20 Presidency in 2023. In recognition of his continued service and policy acumen, he was named a Viksit Bharat Distinguished Fellow in January 2025.

Shringla’s diplomatic milestones are extensive. He was appointed Ambassador to Thailand (2014–2016), High Commissioner to Bangladesh (2016–2019), and Ambassador to the United States (2019). In Bangladesh, he was instrumental in coordinating Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s 2017 visit to India—hailed as the beginning of a "Golden Era" in bilateral relations. His work with the India-Bangladesh Joint Boundary Working Group helped finalize the Land Boundary Agreement. 

In the United States, he quickly established rapport, traveling to 21 states to foster ties with the Indian diaspora and local governments. Notably, he played a central role in organizing the landmark “Howdy Modi” event in Houston in 2019, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi and then-President Donald Trump addressed over 50,000 Indian Americans—the largest rally of its kind ever hosted by a foreign leader on American soil.

As Foreign Secretary, Shringla navigated India’s foreign policy during a turbulent global period, marked by the COVID-19 pandemic, China border tensions, the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, and the Myanmar military coup. He undertook a critical visit to Myanmar in 2021, advocating for a swift return to democracy and cessation of violence. His experience in global diplomacy also includes publications on subjects like conflict prevention, climate change, economic diplomacy, and India’s international partnerships. His 2019 op-ed in The New York Times, India Is Building a More Prosperous Kashmir, provided a nuanced explanation of India’s revocation of Article 370.

Most recently, between May and June 2025, Shringla served as a member of an All-Party Delegation representing India abroad, tasked with conveying India’s position on the urgent issue of cross-border terrorism emanating from Pakistan. As part of this high-level diplomatic mission, he visited key nations including Kuwait, Algeria, and others, engaging with senior officials to garner international support and understanding on India’s security concerns. His seasoned diplomatic tact was instrumental in reinforcing India’s position on global platforms.

Despite his global assignments, Shringla has always remained connected to his roots. Fluent in Nepali, English, French, and Vietnamese, his Darjeeling upbringing shines through both in language and sentiment. He once remarked in Nepali, with a distinct Darjeeling lilt, that “special and unique relations must be maintained between Nepal and the Nepali-speaking parts of India in Sikkim, West Bengal, Uttarakhand, and Nepal.” His connection to the region was further cemented when, as G20 Chief Coordinator, he brought the international tourism working group to Darjeeling, showcasing its scenic and cultural richness on a global stage.

His engagement with the region deepened after his retirement from the IFS. Since November 2023, Shringla has been working actively in Darjeeling and Siliguri through the Darjeeling Welfare Society (DWS), an NGO he founded in 2014 and formally registered in 2023. Under his leadership as president, the DWS has undertaken wide-ranging initiatives in the fields of employment generation, skill development, waste management, and education. Notable efforts include a Rozgar Mela in November 2024, which saw participation from reputed firms like Taj, Intercontinental, and Thomas Cook India, offering jobs to around 270 local youth. DWS is also running a free UPSC Coaching Centre for the aspiring as well as underprivileged youths. He has also distributed computers to underprivileged schools, conducted career counselling programs, and invited international delegations to explore partnerships—most recently a team of CEOs from the U.S. and representatives from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. 

He is currently in the process of laying the groundwork for a large‑scale renovation project of around 30 schools in the Darjeeling region that cater to students from underprivileged households. In partnership with the AIM Foundation, he has launched a pilot eye‑screening camp across five schools in the tea gardens of the Darjeeling hills and provided eyeglasses to correct vision impairments. Under his leadership, the DWS is engaging in a diverse range of activities, including reaching out to villages in areas such as Phoobsering, Ghoom, Sukhia Pokhari, Phansidewa and the flood‑affected areas of the Teesta. 

In remembrance of his late father, Shri T.T. La, Shringla also visited Bhanubhakta Primary School in the heart of Darjeeling town, where his father had his elementary education. Aside from caring for the underprivileged, he has focused on pressing issues in the region such as unemployment and lack of support for the tea gardens and local NGO groups. To address these issues, Shringla has leveraged the networks and relationships he built over forty years. For the first time ever, on his invitation, CEOs of major foundations—including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the United States India Strategic Partnership Forum—visited Darjeeling and Siliguri to explore future projects and programmes. Similarly, Shringla personally met the CEO of WWF‑India to seek support for the conservation of the endangered Golden Salamander in the Darjeeling area.

He also facilitated visits from international stakeholders, including a U.S. delegation of CEOs and officials from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, who are now partnering on income generation initiatives for tea workers and waste management solutions in the region. These efforts underline his vision for a self-reliant and sustainable Darjeeling.

Locals see him not only as a statesman but also as a grassroots leader. His daily walks through Darjeeling, informal chats over morning tea, and his presence in educational institutions have endeared him to the community. Many in the region saw him as a promising Lok Sabha candidate, though he ]remained cautious in addressing such speculation. “I have mostly been in Siliguri and Darjeeling for some months and my objective is to help the people on my home turf,” he told the media, leaving the door open for a future political role but refraining from confirming any candidacy. There had been earlier rumors about him potentially receiving a BJP ticket for the 2024 elections, especially amid talk of changes to the local political lineup. Shringla, however, chose to focus on developmental work through the DWS rather than electoral politics at that time.

Shringla’s contributions have been recognized with several honors. He received the JTM Gibson Award from Mayo College for Outstanding Alumni in 2017, and was conferred a D.Litt. Honoris Causa by ICFAI University, Sikkim, in 2019. An avid reader, mountaineer, and hockey player, he has participated in expeditions to Everest Base Camp and Friendship Peak, and represented St. Stephen’s College in inter-college hockey tournaments.

Shri Harsh Vardhan Shringla Ji has excelled as a diplomat, intellectual and strategic thinker. Over the years, he’s made key contributions to India’s foreign policy and also contributed to our G20 Presidency. Glad that he’s been nominated to the Rajya Sabha by President of India.…

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 13, 2025

On July 11, 2025, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his appreciation for Shringla’s nomination to the Rajya Sabha through a post on social media platform X, noting: “Shri Harsh Vardhan Shringla Ji has excelled as a diplomat, intellectual and strategic thinker. Over the years, he’s made key contributions to India’s foreign policy and also contributed to our G20 Presidency. Glad that he’s been nominated to the Rajya Sabha by President of India. His unique perspectives will greatly enrich Parliamentary proceedings.”

Harsh Vardhan Shringla now enters the Rajya Sabha not merely as a retired diplomat, but as a public servant whose career bridges the global and the local. From negotiating treaties on international borders to addressing unemployment in tea estates, from organizing events at the United Nations to career fairs in Siliguri—Shringla brings a rare blend of experience, humility, and purpose that promises to enrich India's parliamentary and policy discourse.