New Delhi: The elevation of Shiv Shankar Menon as foreign secretary has led to two more senior diplomats seeking voluntary retirement from the Indian Foreign Service (IFS) because they were superseded.
T C A Rangachari, India's ambassador to France and Veena Sikri, the high commissioner to Bangladesh, have sought voluntary retirement to register their displeasure at being bypassed for the top diplomatic job.
Menon was appointed foreign secretary last month.
Their pleas for voluntary retirement are under consideration, reliable sources told IANS. Officials declined to comment.
Rajiv Sikri, secretary (East), was the first to seek voluntary retirement after Menon's elevation to the top job in IFS. He superseded 16 diplomats.
Menon, an IFS officer of 1972 batch, will take charge October 1.
Menon, who is currently India's high commissioner to Pakistan, succeeds Shyam Saran, who has been named the Prime Minister's special envoy on matters relating to the India-US civil nuclear deal.
The four secretaries in the headquarters - Sikri, Shashi Tripathi, secretary (West), Atish Sinha, secretary, and Dean, Foreign Service Institute, and Rinzing Wangdi, secretary, economic relations - are all senior to Menon and will in all probability be shifted out of the foreign ministry headquarters in South Block.
A reshuffle of the foreign office is likely to take place within a fortnight after Menon moves into his South Block office.
The 16 diplomats whom Menon superseded have the option to resign, seek voluntary retirement or opt for ambassadorial posting as, according to seniority rules, they need not serve at headquarters under their junior in service.
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