.jpg)
Breaking with hallowed tradition, U.S. President Barack Obama has announced that he has nominated an Indian-American woman, Nisha Desai Biswal, to a top State Department role overseeing India and a vast swathe of nations in the region, the key post of Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia. Pending confirmation by the Senate, Ms. Biswal, who is currently the Assistant Administrator for Asia at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), will step into the shoes of incumbent Robert Blake, and lead policymaking at the State Department for India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Kazakhstan, Kirghizstan, Maldives, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.
Since 2008, Afghanistan and Pakistan have however been overseen by a Special Representative, initially the late Richard Holbrooke, and currently James Dobbins.
In a formal statement that included notification of his intent to nominate seven other senior administration officials to new roles, the President said: “It gives me great confidence that such dedicated individuals have agreed to join this Administration to serve the American people. I look forward to working with them in the months and years to come.”
