Ruchira Kamboj : India’s first woman ambassador to the United Nations

Ruchira Kamboj is India’s first woman envoy to the United Nations Headquarters in New York. She was the All India Women Topper of 1987 Civil Services batch and topper of 1987 Foreign Services batch.

On 21 June 2022, Kamboj was appointed as the Ambassador/Permanent Representative – designate of India to the United Nations in New York. Her appointment makes her the first female Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations. She assumed charge as PR-designate on 1 August 2022.

She has previously served as High Commissioner of India to South Africa.

Who is Ruchira Kamboj

Ruchira Kamboj was the All India Female Topper of that batch of 1987 Civil Services, while she was the topper of the Foreign Services batch of that year. Prior to this, she was holding the charge of India’s first woman Ambassador to Bhutan. Prior to this, she had worked as High Commissioner to South India and Ambassador/Permanent Representative of India to UNESCO.

Ruchira Kamboj’s career started as a third secretary in France. In Paris he was posted as Third Secretary in the Indian Embassy in France from 1989-1991. He worked as Under Secretary in the Europe West Division of the Ministry of External Affairs till 1991-96. From 1996-1999, he served as First Secretary (Economic and Commercial) in Mauritius and Head of Chancery at the Indian High Commission in Port Louis.

She was associated with the state visit of Prime Minister Deve Gowda to Mauritius in 1998 as well as the visit of South African Prime Minister IK Gujral to South Africa in 1997, when she was sent on special duty to South Africa.

Ruchira served as an advisor in the Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations from 2002 to 2005. She worked on several political topics including UN Security Council reforms, UN peacekeeping, Middle East crisis, etc.

Read this IAS Tanu Jain: Biography and Career डॉ तनु जैन का जीवन परिचय