Gopal Baglay is a 1992-batch Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer who served as the Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka from 2020 to 2023. He made headlines after he was appointed as India’s High Commissioner to Australia in September 2023.
Wiki/Biography
Gopal Baglay was born on Tuesday, January 4, 1966, in Mathura, Uttar Pradesh, India (age 57; as of 2023). His zodiac sign is Capricorn. After spending his first few years in Mathura, Gopal moved to Lucknow and studied at City Montessori School (CMS). Gopal received his MSc in Chemical Science (Special) from Lucknow University. After completing his formal education, Bagli appeared for the UPSC Civil Services Examination and successfully passed it. After that, he reported at Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA), Mussoorie, Uttarakhand. He attended many courses related to foreign service at the Sushma Swaraj Foreign Service Academy, New Delhi.
appearance
Height (approximately): 5′4″
Hair Color: Salt and Pepper
Eye color: dark brown
family
Gopal Baglay was born into a Hindu family in Uttar Pradesh.
Parents and siblings
There is not much information about his parents and siblings.
wife and children
His wife’s name was Bina Baglay.
religion
Gopal Baglay believes in Hinduism.
Profession
After completing his training at LBSNAA in 1994, Gopal was posted to Kiev, Ukraine, where he served as Third Secretary at the Indian Embassy until 1996. In 1996, he was posted to Moscow, Russian Federation. There, he served as Second Secretary at the Indian Embassy until 1999. He served as Special Assistant to the High Commissioner of India to the United Kingdom from 1999 to 2002; he also served as First Secretary (Economic) of the Corporation. Gopal Baglay was posted to New Delhi where from 2002 to 2005 he served as Deputy Secretary (Central Europe) and Deputy Secretary and Director (United Nations – Economic and Social) in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). In 2005, Baglay traveled to New Delhi. Proceed to the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu, Nepal. There he served as Counselor (Press, Information and Culture) until 2008. In 2008, he was again posted to the Ministry of External Affairs, New Delhi. There he served as Director of External Propaganda and Director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The unit is responsible for India’s engagement with Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran. He served at MEA until 2010. From 2010 to 2011, he served as Director of the Office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs. He was posted to the Indian High Commission in Islamabad, Pakistan, as Deputy High Commissioner. He held this position until 2014.
Photo taken while Bagley was speaking to an audience at an event
In October 2014, Gopal became joint secretary (national), a post he held till December 2015. In this role, he was responsible for setting up a separate unit within the Ministry of External Affairs to work on strengthening India’s international engagement. In October 2015, he was appointed as Joint Secretary by MEA. In this role, 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.
Photos of Bagley when he served as MEA spokesperson
In the same year, Gopal was appointed Joint Secretary in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO); he served in this position until May 2020 when he was appointed as the Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka. His appointment as High Commissioner came at a time when Sri Lanka was experiencing political and economic instability. He played a vital role in improving relations between India and Sri Lanka. He also helped the two countries finalize an economic aid agreement to help Sri Lanka revive its economy.
Gopal poses with members of the Indian and Sri Lankan armed forces during India’s Independence Day celebrations at the Indian Embassy in Sri Lanka
In September 2023, MEA announced that Gopal Baglay would succeed Ambassador Manpreet Vohra and take charge of the Indian High Commission in Australia. The notification from the Indian government reads:
Shri Gopal Baglay (IFS: 1992), the current Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, has been appointed as the next Indian High Commissioner to Australia. He is expected to accept the assignment soon. “
Facts/Trivia
- He is an avid traveler and has traveled to many places to explore.
- He has a keen interest in reading.
- Baglay is multilingual and fluent in Hindi, English, Urdu, Nepali, Russian and Ukrainian.
Categories: Biography
Source: HIS Education