IIM Calcutta awards honorary doctorate to External Affairs Min S Jaishankar for contributions to diplomacy and public service

Kolkata: The Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Calcutta has conferred the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Honoris Causa) on External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar in recognition of his contributions to diplomacy, public service and scholarship.

According to an issued press statement, the degree was presented at a ceremony held at the IIM Calcutta Auditorium in the presence of faculty, students, alumni, and distinguished guests. IIM Calcutta said the honour reflects Jaishankar’s four-decade-long role in shaping India’s foreign policy since joining the Indian Foreign Service in 1977.

The institute noted his tenure in several key diplomatic posts, including Ambassador to the Czech Republic, Singapore, China, and the United States. It highlighted his pivotal contribution to the negotiations of the India–United States Civil Nuclear Agreement, describing it as a defining moment in India’s strategic trajectory.

His appointment as Foreign Secretary in 2015 and his assumption of office as External Affairs Minister in May 2019 — the first former Foreign Secretary to do so — were also cited.

The statement recalled that he received the Padma Shri in 2019.

IIM Calcutta said his books, The India Way and Why Bharat Matters, reflect his intellectual depth and offer insight into India’s evolving global role.

The statement also referred to observations by Board of Governors chairperson Srikrishna Kulkarni and director Alok Kumar Rai, who praised his principled diplomacy, leadership, and clarity of thought.

Describing the event as a moment of distinction, IIM Calcutta welcomed Jaishankar as an honoured member of its academic fraternity.