Menon retired as Foreign Secretary in August, ending a career marked him out as one of India's best bureaucrats to hold the post. The fact that he superseded 12 seniors to be appointed to the post in 2006 when his equally capable predecessor Shyam Saran retired has more than paid off.
Menon has somehow come to symbolise the 'Sharm-el-Sheikh' line of India's neighbourhood policy -- unlike his hard-line predecessor who instinctively trusts crisis management to problem-solving. A 'greening' of the national security establishment is overdue and it will be in sync with the spirit of our times.
Those who know Shiv Shankar Menon will vouch that he did lots of things, substantial in the immediate neighbourhood and widespread in South Asia, but without making things public. Twenty per cent of Menon's job was visible, while 80 per cemt of his job was not known to the public, says Sheela Bhatt/Rediff.com
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says Iran and India need to help spread justice in the world as the duo share humane perspectives on international affairs. Ahmadinejad spoke in a meeting with India's National Security Advisor Shiv Shankar Menon on Monday in Tehran.
National Security Advisor Shiv Shankar Menon on Tuesday briefed senior Bharatiya Janata Party leaders Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley on the ceasefire violations by Pakistani troops along the Line of Control.
India's concerns over China's plans to build two nuclear reactors for Pakistan and bilateral issues are set to figure prominently during talks between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's special envoy Shiv Shankar Menon and the Chinese leadership in Beijing from Saturday.
Speaking at the Gulf Forum 2011, in Riyadh, National Security Advisor Shiv Shankar Menon said that if the centre of gravity of world politics has shifted to Asia, it is now also the cockpit of rivalries and the stage on which international competition is played out.
According to official sources, both the leaders met with their respective delegations for about 40 minutes. External Affairs Minister SM Krishna, National Security Advisor Shiv Shankar Menon and Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai were among those present during the delegation-level meet. Both the prime ministers also had one-to-one discussions for about 15 minutes
'Some observers say India and China are bound to be strategic adversaries. I find such determinism misplaced,' says National Security Advisor Shiv Shankar Menon.
Take a look at the pictures of Barack Obama's visit to India. You can see Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao, Indian Ambassador to the US Meera Shankar and National Security Advisor Shiv Shankar Menon. Can you spot Foreign Minister S M Krishna anywhere?
Visiting Pakistani Interior Minister Rehman Malik is likely to meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday but will not have an interaction with Congress Chief Sonia Gandhi.
PM Manmohan Singh, Minister of External Affairs, SM Krishna, National Security Advisor Shiv Shankar Menon and other senior officials will be in New York from September 22 to 26 to attend the high-level segment of the 66th UNGA. Sahim Salim reports.
Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj has apprised Prime Minister Manmohan Singh of discussions with Sri Lankan leadership during the visit of a MPs' delegation led by her to look into the resettlement and rehabilitation process of displaced Tamils there.
Speaking at the Cariappa memorial lecture on 'The role of militaries in international relations', National Security Advisor Shiv Shankar Menon said that force was an inescapable factor in international relations, whether through its actual use or in the threat of its use.
The prime minister's office has approved setting up of a Strategic Programme Staff to function under the National Security Advisor. This unique back up to National Security Advisor will be headed by a secretary level officer, to be packed with directors and deputy secretaries as staff members.
Foreign Policy, a global magazine on politics and economic, has chalked out a list of top thinkers of 2010. Nine Indians or those of Indian-origin make the cut. Here's a list.
Sources in the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) told Business Standard that National Security Advisor (NSA) Shiv Shankar Menon will meet top leaders of the BJP and the CPI(M) to explain the salient features of the Bill.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday presenting the S K Singh Award for recognising excellence in the Indian Foreign Service, to Tanmaya Lal
Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde on Tuesday cancelled his meeting with a senior United States Congressional delegation ostensibly as a mark of protest against the treatment meted out to India's deputy consul general in New York.
NSA Menon's wisdom says that the idea to be superpower is not really desirable, it is better to be different. Sheela Bhatt reports.
'It is astonishing that such a serious issue be handled in so casual and cavalier a fashion, but this has become what is expected of this government,' observes Aakar Patel.
'If you look at the relationship with Pakistan, or the relationship with China, both are today, more uncertain than they were when this government came into power.'
'We don't want confrontation; we are trying to build a cooperative relationship in which both sides have stakes in producing an improving climate of relations and responsible behaviour.' What does Shiv Shankar Menon, one of India's most brilliant diplomats and the former National Security Advisor, think of the Modi visit to the US, the Chinese stand-off in Ladakh and the situation on the LoC?
'India will want a lot of help from the US, but it's not going to want US troops.'
Since the US and India broadly share similar interests in Sri Lanka, they should coordinate closely to ensure that the country preserves its democratic institutions, says Lisa Curtis
"Who will be his men?" a distinguished official close to the prime minister asked. Frankly, nobody has an idea. Hardly seven weeks are left for a regime change, but the idea of Narendra Modi on Raisina Hill looks abnormal, if not unreal. Rediff.com's Sheela Bhatt captures the uncertain mood in the capital's bureaucracy ahead of the largest democratic transfer of power in the world.
A sensational interview on India-China ties, with the man most qualified to answer.
Delhi's inability to open up a new canvas with Pakistan and Sharif is symptomatic of its sluggish thinking. Jyoti Malhotra analyses
'If you say I won't talk to them at all, does terrorism stop?' 'Even if they say they will give up terrorism, "I will fight terrorism along with you," but even then you say I still won't talk to you until you do the following things, then that is a political call.'
© 2026 Rediff.com - Investor Information - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances