Balkrishna Shetty
Encyclopedia
Balkrishna Shetty is a retired India
n diplomat who served as India
's Ambassador
to Sweden
, Latvia
, Bahrain
, Senegal
and Mali
-speaking Bunt
family in Kundapura
. He completed a B.Sc Honours in Mathematics at Presidency College, Calcutta (1970) and an M.Sc. (Mathematics) at the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur (1972). After a period of research in Mathematics at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai, he joined the Indian Statistical Service in 1973 and was Assistant Director, dealing with Industries and Trade Statistics in Central Statistical Organisation, Government of India, New Delhi.
, New Delhi from 1986 to 1988, and was, inter alia, involved with the Festival of India in the Soviet Union. He was posted to the Indian Embassy in Moscow from 1988 to 1991 as First Secretary (Political) and subsequently as Counsellor (Political) during the perestroika and glasnost years. He was Deputy High Commissioner at the High Commission of India, Singapore from 1991 to 1995 looking after, inter alia, economic, commercial and investment issues. During 1995-1997, he returned to India and headed the Technical Cooperation Division as Joint Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi, dealing with bilateral, economic and technical cooperation and international disaster relief. He thereafter joined the Foreign Service Institute as Director in charge of Professional Course for Foreign Diplomats (PCFD). Between 1997 and 2001, he was posted at the Embassy of India, Paris, as Minister (Economic), dealing with all bilateral economic matters and relations with Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). He was appointed as Ambassador to the Republic of Senegal and was concurrently accredited to the Cape Verde Islands, Guinea Bissau, Mali, Mauritania and the Gambia from 2001 to 2005. He was associated with the establishment of TEAM–9 (Techno-Economic Cooperation for Africa-India Movement), a regional economic cooperation mechanism between India and eight West African countries. From September 2005 to January 2009, he was Ambassador of India to Bahrain. In January 2009 he was appointed the Ambassador to Sweden
with additional charge of Latvia
and continued in this post until he retired on 16 July 2010
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n diplomat who served as India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
's Ambassador
Ambassador
An ambassador is the highest ranking diplomat who represents a nation and is usually accredited to a foreign sovereign or government, or to an international organization....
to Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, Latvia
Latvia
Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
, Bahrain
Bahrain
' , officially the Kingdom of Bahrain , is a small island state near the western shores of the Persian Gulf. It is ruled by the Al Khalifa royal family. The population in 2010 stood at 1,214,705, including 235,108 non-nationals. Formerly an emirate, Bahrain was declared a kingdom in 2002.Bahrain is...
, Senegal
Senegal
Senegal , officially the Republic of Senegal , is a country in western Africa. It owes its name to the Sénégal River that borders it to the east and north...
and Mali
Mali
Mali , officially the Republic of Mali , is a landlocked country in Western Africa. Mali borders Algeria on the north, Niger on the east, Burkina Faso and the Côte d'Ivoire on the south, Guinea on the south-west, and Senegal and Mauritania on the west. Its size is just over 1,240,000 km² with...
Early life and education
Shetty was born to a KannadaKannada language
Kannada or , is a language spoken in India predominantly in the state of Karnataka. Kannada, whose native speakers are called Kannadigas and number roughly 50 million, is one of the 30 most spoken languages in the world...
-speaking Bunt
Bunt (community)
Bunt , previously spelled Bant, are a community of erstwhile nobility, feudatory and gentry from the region of Tulu Nadu in the south west of India which comprises the districts of Udupi and Dakshina Kannada in the Indian state of Karnataka and Kasaragod taluk of Kerala...
family in Kundapura
Kundapura
-Languages and culture :The town mainly consists of Kannadigas who speak Kundagannada, Konkanis and Tuluvas. The Goud Saraswat Brahmins who fled Goa during the Portuguese arrival in the 16th century arrived by Boat in Basrur and some settled in Kundapura and surrounding villages. These people and...
. He completed a B.Sc Honours in Mathematics at Presidency College, Calcutta (1970) and an M.Sc. (Mathematics) at the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur (1972). After a period of research in Mathematics at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai, he joined the Indian Statistical Service in 1973 and was Assistant Director, dealing with Industries and Trade Statistics in Central Statistical Organisation, Government of India, New Delhi.
Career
In 1976, he joined the Indian Foreign Service. After two years of training in India, he was posted at the Permanent Mission of India, Geneva (1978–1981) to learn French, and thereafter to work at the Mission as Second Secretary. He was transferred to the High Commission of India in Bangladesh as Second Secretary (Press and Culture) and subsequently as First Secretary, dealing with Economic and Commerce matters (1981–1984). He returned to India and was posted as Under Secretary to the Government of India in the Ministry of Commerce, New Delhi from 1984 to 1986, dealing with State Trading issues as well as regulation of Indian investments abroad. He was appointed Deputy Director General(Administration) at the Indian Council for Cultural RelationsIndian Council for Cultural Relations
The Indian Council for Cultural Relations , is an autonomous organisation of the Government of India, involved in India’s external cultural relations, through cultural exchange with other countries and their peoples...
, New Delhi from 1986 to 1988, and was, inter alia, involved with the Festival of India in the Soviet Union. He was posted to the Indian Embassy in Moscow from 1988 to 1991 as First Secretary (Political) and subsequently as Counsellor (Political) during the perestroika and glasnost years. He was Deputy High Commissioner at the High Commission of India, Singapore from 1991 to 1995 looking after, inter alia, economic, commercial and investment issues. During 1995-1997, he returned to India and headed the Technical Cooperation Division as Joint Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi, dealing with bilateral, economic and technical cooperation and international disaster relief. He thereafter joined the Foreign Service Institute as Director in charge of Professional Course for Foreign Diplomats (PCFD). Between 1997 and 2001, he was posted at the Embassy of India, Paris, as Minister (Economic), dealing with all bilateral economic matters and relations with Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). He was appointed as Ambassador to the Republic of Senegal and was concurrently accredited to the Cape Verde Islands, Guinea Bissau, Mali, Mauritania and the Gambia from 2001 to 2005. He was associated with the establishment of TEAM–9 (Techno-Economic Cooperation for Africa-India Movement), a regional economic cooperation mechanism between India and eight West African countries. From September 2005 to January 2009, he was Ambassador of India to Bahrain. In January 2009 he was appointed the Ambassador to Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
with additional charge of Latvia
Latvia
Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
and continued in this post until he retired on 16 July 2010