Gopal Baglay (IFS) Wiki, Age, Family, Biography & More

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Gopal Baglay is an Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer of the 1992 batch, who served as the High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka from 2020 to 2023. He hit the headlines in September 2023 after being appointed the High Commissioner of India to Australia.

Contents

Wiki/Biography

Gopal Baglay was born on Tuesday, 4 January 1966 (age 57 years; as of 2023) in Mathura, Uttar Pradesh, India. His zodiac sign is Capricorn. After spending initial years in Mathura, Gopal shifted to Lucknow, where he enrolled at the City Montessori School (CMS). Gopal earned a Master’s degree in Science (Special) in Chemistry at Lucknow University. After completing his formal education, Baglay appeared for the UPSC civil services examination and managed to clear it. ^[1]Embassy of India in Kabul After that, he reported at the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA) in Mussoorie, Uttarakhand. He has attended numerous courses related to foreign service at the Sushma Swaraj Institute of Foreign Service in New Delhi.

Physical Appearance

Height (approx.): 5′ 4″

Hair Colour: Salt and Pepper

Eye Colour: Dark Brown

Family

Gopal Baglay belongs to a Hindu family in Uttar Pradesh.

Parents & Siblings

There is not much information about his parents and siblings.

Wife & Children

His wife’s name is Bina Baglay.

Religion

Gopal Baglay follows Hinduism. ^[2]ANI

Career

After completing his training at LBSNAA in 1994, Gopal was sent to Kyiv, Ukraine, where he held the post of a third secretary at the Indian embassy till 1996. In 1996, he was posted in Moscow, the Russian Federation. There, he served in the Indian embassy as a second secretary till 1999. From 1999 to 2002, he held the post of Special Assistant to the High Commissioner of India in the United Kingdom (UK); he also served there as First Secretary (Economic). Gopal Baglay was sent to New Delhi, where he served in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) as Deputy Secretary (Central Europe) and Deputy Secretary and Director (United Nations – Economic and Social) from 2002 to 2005. In 2005, Baglay went to the Indian embassy in Kathmandu, Nepal. There, he held the post of Counsellor (Press, Information, and Culture) till 2008. He was once again posted to the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi in 2008. There, he served as the Director of External Publicity and the Director of the department looking after India’s engagement with Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Iran. He served at the MEA till 2010. From 2010 to 2011, he held the post of Director of the External Affairs Minister’s Office. He was sent as the Deputy High Commissioner to the Indian High Commission in Islamabad, Pakistan. He remained in the post till 2014.

A photo of Baglay taken while he was giving a speech to an audience during an event

In October 2014, Gopal became Joint Secretary (States), a post that he held till December 2015. In this role, he was handed the responsibility of establishing a separate department within the Ministry of External Affairs dedicated to enhancing the international engagement of India. In October 2015, he was appointed by MEA as its Joint Secretary. In this capacity, his responsibilities included overseeing matters related to Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Iran. In February 2017, Baglay was appointed as the Official Spokesperson of the MEA; however, his tenure was short-lived, and he was replaced by Raveesh Kumar in July 2017.

A photo of Baglay taken while he was serving as the spokesperson of the MEA

In the same year, Gopal was given the post of Joint Secretary in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO); he held the post till his appointment as the High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka in May 2020. His appointment as a High Commissioner came at a time when Sri Lanka was undergoing political and economic instability. He played a vital role in improving ties between India and Sri Lanka. He also helped both nations in finalising economic assistance deals to help Sri Lanka revive its economy.

A photo of Gopal taken with the Indian and Sri Lankan Armed Forces members during the celebration of India’s Independence Day in the Indian embassy in Sri Lanka

In September 2023, the MEA announced that Gopal Baglay would replace Ambassador Manpreet Vohra and take charge of the Indian High Commission in Australia. The Government of India’s notification read,

Shri Gopal Baglay (IFS: 1992), presently High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka, has been appointed as the next High Commissioner of India to Australia. He is expected to take up the assignment shortly.”