As Indianmandarins had reported on 10 September 2016 (see web-link below) the incumbent Foreign Secretary S Jaishanker (IFS:1977) has been given extension in service for a further period of one year i.e. up to 29 January 2018. Jaishankar's two year fixed tenure was scheduled to end on 29 January 2017. S Jaishankar was appointed FS on 29 January 2015, days before his retirement, replacing Ms Sujatha Singh who resigned in protest 07 months before her date of superannuation. The other immediate contenders by seniority for the position would have been Sujatha Mehta (Secretary, West), Amar Sinha (Secretary, Economic Relations), Vijay Gokhale (Ambassador to China), Navtej Sarma (Indian Ambassador to the US), Navtej Sarna, Anil Wadhwa (Ambassador to Italy). Having served as Ambassador in the US and China Donald Trump's regime in the US Jaishankar's experience will be priceless in dealing with the new administration. He has already been to Washington and met key members of the Trump transition team prior to the US presidential inauguration on January 20. Web-link: 10 Sept 2016 Jaishankar may remain on turf till 29 July 2019; two extensions foreseen http://www.indianmandarins.com/?s=s+Jaishankar