HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

{{Infobox person , name = Devyani Khobragade , image = , birth_date = , birth_place = Tarapur, Maharashtra, India , death_date = , death_place = , monuments = , nationality = Indian , other_names = , education = , alma_mater = , occupation = Central Civil Servant of
Indian Foreign Service The Indian Foreign Service (IFS) is the diplomatic service and a central civil service of the Government of India under the Ministry of External Affairs. The Foreign Secretary is the head of the service. Vinay Mohan Kwatra is the 34th and the ...
cadre , years_active = 1999–present , employer =
Government of India The Government of India ( ISO: ; often abbreviated as GoI), known as the Union Government or Central Government but often simply as the Centre, is the national government of the Republic of India, a federal democracy located in South Asia, ...
, organization =
Ministry of External Affairs (India) The Ministry of External Affairs (abbreviated as MEA; hi, विदेश मंत्रालय, Videśa Mantrālaya, translit-std=ISO) of India is the government agency responsible for implementing Indian foreign policy. The Ministry of Ex ...
, known_for = , notable_works = , style = , television = , title = , term = , predecessor = , successor = , party = , movement = , opponents = , boards = , spouse = Aakash Singh Rathore , partner = , children = Amaya Singh Khobragade, Shaira Singh Khobragade , parents = Uttam Khobragade (father){{cite news, title=Father meets Shinde, publisher=Zee News, access-date=17 December 2013, url=http://zeenews.india.com/news/nation/father-of-indian-diplomat-devyani-khobragade-arrested-in-us-meets-shinde_897405.html , website = , footnotes = Devyani Khobragade is a central civil servant of
Indian Foreign Service The Indian Foreign Service (IFS) is the diplomatic service and a central civil service of the Government of India under the Ministry of External Affairs. The Foreign Secretary is the head of the service. Vinay Mohan Kwatra is the 34th and the ...
cadre. She was in the news after being charged with visa fraud when she was posted in the Indian Consul in
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the U ...
in the United States. She is currently serving as ambassador of India to Cambodia at Embassy of India, Phnom Penh.


Early life

Khobragade was born in Tarapur, Maharashtra, in a Buddhist family from
Gadchiroli Gadchiroli ( �əɖt͡ʃiɾoliː is a city and a municipal council in Gadchiroli district in the state of Maharashtra, central India. It is located on eastern side of Maharashtra, and is the administrative headquarters of the district. Gadc ...
, Maharashtra.{{cite news , url = https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/indias-devyani-khobragade-advocated-for-womens-rights-but-underpaid-her-nanny/2013/12/20/13e23688-69a2-11e3-8b5b-a77187b716a3_story.html , title = Who is Devyani Khobragade, the Indian diplomat at the center of the firestorm? , work = The Washington Post , last = Gowen , first= Annie , date= 20 December 2013 , access-date = 7 January 2014 Khobragade's father, Uttam Khobragade, was an officer in the
Indian Administrative Service The Indian Administrative Service (IAS) is the administrative arm of the All India Services of Government of India. Considered the premier civil service of India, the IAS is one of the three arms of the All India Services along with the India ...
. He was also implicated in a number of corruption scandals.{{Cite news, url=http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-acb-books-bhujbal-son-for-land-fraud-2501449, title=ACB books Bhujbal son for land fraud {{! Latest News & Updates at Daily News & Analysis, date=2017-07-14, work=dna, access-date=2017-08-29, language=en-US{{Cite news, url=http://indianexpress.com/article/india/adarsh-scam-revoke-membership-of-22-flat-owners-cbi-tells-government-again-4429273/, title=Adarsh Scam: Revoke membership of 22 flat owners, CBI tells government again, date=2016-12-16, work=The Indian Express, access-date=2017-08-29, language=en-US{{Cite news, url=https://mumbaimirror.indiatimes.com/mumbai/cover-story/sweltering-summer-just-got-worse/articleshow/58173494.cms, title=Sweltering summer just got worse - Mumbai Mirror -, work=Mumbai Mirror, access-date=2017-08-29 She attended Mount Carmel High School in
Mumbai Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the secon ...
. She obtained a degree in medicine from
King Edward Memorial Hospital and Seth Gordhandas Sunderdas Medical College King Edward (VII) Memorial Hospital and Seth Gordhandas Sunderdas Medical College, located in Mumbai, is one of the foremost teaching and medical care providing institution in India. It was founded in 1926; it is affiliated with Maharashtra Uni ...
.{{cite news , title = Who is Devyani Khobragade? , url = http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-12-19/india/45376769_1_drug-addicts-devyani-khobragade-arrest, archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20131222051522/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-12-19/india/45376769_1_drug-addicts-devyani-khobragade-arrest, url-status = dead, archive-date = 22 December 2013, date=19 December 2013 , work =
The Times of India ''The Times of India'', also known by its abbreviation ''TOI'', is an Indian English language, English-language daily newspaper and digital news media owned and managed by The Times Group. It is the List of newspapers in India by circulation, t ...
, access-date=27 December 2013


Career

Khobragade joined the
Indian Foreign Service The Indian Foreign Service (IFS) is the diplomatic service and a central civil service of the Government of India under the Ministry of External Affairs. The Foreign Secretary is the head of the service. Vinay Mohan Kwatra is the 34th and the ...
in 1999. In 2012, she was posted to the Consulate General of India in New York where she worked as Deputy Consul General till December 2013. She handled women's affairs as well as political and economic issues. As acting Consul General, she provided her personal perspective on ''Women's Rights and the Influence of Demographics in India'' at the Australian Consulate-General in New York in April 2013. On 20 January 2014 she was posted to New Delhi as director of the Development Partnership Administration (DPA), an agency formed in 2013 at the Ministry of External Affairs to handle India's projects overseas. In December 2014 the Ministry of External Affairs removed her from this post and placed her on "compulsory wait".{{cite news , url = http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-government-takes-disciplinary-administrative-action-against-indian-diplomat-devyani-khobragade-2045675 , title = Government takes disciplinary, administrative action against Indian diplomat Devyani Khobragade , publisher = Daily News and Analysis , work = Press Trust of India , date = 20 December 2014 , access-date = 22 July 2015 In July 2015 she was reinstated as a director in the Ministry of External Affairs, this time in its State Governments division.{{cite news , url = http://zeenews.india.com/news/india/devyani-khobragade-reinstated-as-director-in-mea_1623871.html , title = Devyani Khobragade reinstated as director in MEA , publisher = Zee News , work = Indo Asian News Service , date = 3 July 2015 , access-date = 22 July 2015 {{cite news , url = http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/devyani-khobragade-reinstated-in-new-division/article7380020.ece , title = Khobragade reinstated in new division , author = Smriti Kak Ramachandran , work = The Hindu , date = 3 July 2015 , access-date = 22 July 2015 She chose to work with
Kerala Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South C ...
, aiming to promote its interests overseas in areas like investment, culture, tourism and the well being of its large diaspora in the
Gulf countries The Arab states of the Persian Gulf refers to a group of Arab states which border the Persian Gulf. There are seven member states of the Arab League in the region: Bahrain, Kuwait, Iraq, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. ...
.{{cite news , url = http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kochi/Back-from-the-wilderness-Devyani-to-serve-Gods-own-country/articleshow/48288132.cms , title = Back from the wilderness, Devyani to serve God's own country , publisher = Times of India , work = Times News Network , date = 31 July 2015 , access-date = 31 July 2015 Khobragade was selected for the Chevening Rolls-Royce scholarship in 2012.{{cite web , url = http://www.chevening.org/india/crisp/scholars_2012/devyani_khobragade , title = Devyani Khobragade, 2012 Rolls-Royce Scholar, Chevening Rolls-Royce Science and Innovation Leadership Programme , website = UK Government, Foreign and Commonwealth Office , year = 2012 , access-date = 7 January 2014 , archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140306154435/http://www.chevening.org/india/crisp/scholars_2012/devyani_khobragade , archive-date = 6 March 2014 , url-status = dead She was appointed
Ambassador An ambassador is an official envoy, especially a high-ranking diplomat who represents a state and is usually accredited to another sovereign state or to an international organization as the resident representative of their own government or sov ...
to
Cambodia Cambodia (; also Kampuchea ; km, កម្ពុជា, UNGEGN: ), officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochinese Peninsula in Southeast Asia, spanning an area of , bordered by Thailan ...
on 2 October 2020.


Personal life

Khobragade is married to an American citizen, New York-born Dr. Aakash Singh Rathore, who is research professor at University of Luiss, Rome, Italy.{{cite web, title=More skeletons tumble out of Devyani Khobragade's cupboard, url=http://www.firstpost.com/world/more-skeletons-tumble-out-of-devyani-khobragades-cupboard-1301929.html, publisher=Firstpost.com, access-date=28 February 2014 Since Rathore is a foreign national married to an Indian diplomat, he has applied for Indian citizenship which has not yet been granted since he has not completed the required domicile period in India.{{cite news, title=Trouble for Devyani Khobragade as govt finds daughters have both US, Indian passports , url = http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-others/trouble-for-khobragade-as-govt-finds-daughters-have-us-indian-passports/ , work = The Indian Express , date= 13 March 2014 , access-date = 13 March 2014 , first = Shubhajit , last = Roy The couple have two daughters, who were ages 7 and 4 in 2013. Khobragade's father, Uttam, was an officer in the
Indian Administrative Service The Indian Administrative Service (IAS) is the administrative arm of the All India Services of Government of India. Considered the premier civil service of India, the IAS is one of the three arms of the All India Services along with the India ...
.


Controversies

Besides the Devyani Khobragade incident, her name is mostly in news with her father Uttam Khobragade for
Adarsh Housing Society scam The Adarsh Housing Society is a 31-story building constructed on prime real estate in Colaba, Mumbai, for the welfare of war widows and personnel of India's Ministry of Defence. Over a period of several years, politicians, bureaucrats and milit ...
.


United States visa fraud

{{See also, Devyani Khobragade incident On 12 December 2013, Devyani Khobragade, India's Deputy Consul General at its diplomatic mission in New York City at that time, was arrested on charges of visa fraud and perjury under Title 18, United States Code, Section 1546. This incident led to a major diplomatic standoff between
India India, officially the Republic of India ( Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the ...
and the United States.


Adarsh Housing Society scam

{{See also, Adarsh Housing Society scam Devyani Khobragade and her father Uttam Khobragade owned a flat in the Adarsh Housing Society.{{cite news, url=http://www.financialexpress.com/news/indian-diplomat-devyani-khobragade-owned-flat-in-adarsh-society/1207604 , title=Indian diplomat Devyani Khobragade owned flat in Adarsh society , publisher=Financial Express , date=18 December 2013 , access-date=28 February 2014 A government investigation and subsequent media coverage described false statements that she made to acquire the flat, as part of the Adarsh Housing Society scam.{{cite news , title= IFS officer admits owning two flats on 'govt land' , url= http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/IFS-officer-admits-owning-two-flats-on-govt-land/articleshow/14703884.cms , author= Shibu Thomas , date= 6 July 2012 , access-date=22 December 2013 {{cite news , title= Adarsh scam: How politicians, their kin and officials became members by flouting norms , url= http://www.business-standard.com/article/current-affairs/adarsh-scam-how-politicians-their-kin-and-officials-became-members-by-flouting-norms-114010300494_1.html , author= Sanjay Jog , date= 4 January 2014 , access-date=22 December 2013 {{cite news , url= http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Devyani-Khobragade-made-false-statement-to-get-Adarsh-flat-Panel/articleshow/27694418.cms , title= Devyani Khobragade made false statement to get Adarsh flat: Panel , publisher= Times of India , date= 21 December 2013, access-date= 5 April 2014{{cite news , title= Did Devyani lie in her assets affidavit to Centre? , url= http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/did-devyani-lie-in-her-assets-affidavit-to-centre/article1-1165212.aspx , author= Saikat Datta, Shailesh Gaikwad , publisher= Hindustan Times , date= 21 December 2013 , access-date=22 December 2013


Undue favours in her postings

There is a clear finding by the Supreme Court of India that Ms. Devyani Khobragade was given a posting of her choice in the
Indian Foreign Service The Indian Foreign Service (IFS) is the diplomatic service and a central civil service of the Government of India under the Ministry of External Affairs. The Foreign Secretary is the head of the service. Vinay Mohan Kwatra is the 34th and the ...
by bending and modifying the specific rules of allocation for the specific year of 1999 where she was ranked lower than a meritorious batch mate of hers, Mr. Mahaveer C Singhvi.{{cite news , title=MEA 'bent' rules to favour Devyani Khobragade , url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-12-22/india/45473493_1_ifs-allotment-language , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131225030531/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-12-22/india/45473493_1_ifs-allotment-language , url-status=dead , archive-date=25 December 2013 , access-date=22 December 2013 , newspaper=
The Times of India ''The Times of India'', also known by its abbreviation ''TOI'', is an Indian English language, English-language daily newspaper and digital news media owned and managed by The Times Group. It is the List of newspapers in India by circulation, t ...
, date=22 December 2013
{{cite web , title= SC ruling and why Mayawati is wrong on Devyani , url= http://www.governancenow.com/news/regular-story/sc-ruling-and-why-mayawati-wrong-devyani , access-date= 22 December 2013 , publisher = Governance Now , author = BV Rao , date= December 19, 2013{{cite news , title= IFS probationer can't be sacked without inquiry , url= http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/ifs-probationer-cant-be-sacked-without-inquiry/article552018.ece , author = J. Venkatesan , access-date= 22 December 2013 , newspaper= The Hindu , date= August 5, 2010 {{cite news , title= Supreme Court restores job, benefits to IFS officer , url= http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-supreme-court-restores-job-benefits-to-ifs-officer-1416394 , author = Rakesh Bhatnagar , access-date= 22 December 2013 , newspaper= DNA , date= July 30, 2010 The finding appears in the judgment of the Supreme Court of India in a case filed by the victim batch mate against the vendetta activities of the Ministry of External Affairs effecting his service in the case o
Union of India v Mahaveer C Singhvi
The Supreme Court of India in its Judgment stated "The mode of allotment was amended for the 1999 Batch in such a calculated fashion that Ms. Khobragade, who was at Serial No.7, was given her choice of German over and above the Respondent who was graded at two stages above her."


Children's Dual Citizenship

After her return to India in December 2013, Devyani Khobragade was asked to deposit her children's passports with the Ministry of External Affairs. It was at this time Khobragade revealed that her children had passports from two countries, India and the United States. The ministry instated a panel headed by the Ministry's Joint Secretary of Cypher, NGO and Vigilance (CNV), A.K. Chatterjee to determine whether she had violated Central Civil Services Conduct rules. After a nine-month enquiry, the panel ruled against her and found her guilty of "serious misconduct".{{cite news , url = http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/devyani-penalised-for-childrens-us-passports/article6711237.ece , title = Devyani penalised for children's US passports , author = Suhasini Haidar , work = The Hindu , date = 21 December 2014 , access-date = 22 July 2015 In another administrative action, the ministry revoked the children's Indian passports. Khobragade filed a petition in Delhi High Court against this action, arguing that though Indian law forbids dual citizenship, it is permitted for minors.{{cite news , url = http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2014-05-12/news/49795348_1_dual-citizenship-devyani-khobragade-s-indian-citizenship , title = Devyani Khobragade's kids eligible for dual citizenship: Ministry of Home Affairs , author = Dipanjan Roy Chaudhury , publisher = Economic Times , work = ET Bureau , date = 12 May 2014 , access-date = 22 July 2015 Legal opinion holds that though minors are allowed to hold dual citizenship once they reach the age of majority (18 years), they have 6 months in which to decide which citizenship to go with.{{cite news , url = http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/It-was-my-moral-and-legal-duty-to-challenge-wrong-done-to-my-kids/articleshow/48196468.cms , title = It was my moral and legal duty to challenge wrong done to my kids , author = Devyani Khobragade , publisher = Times of India , date = 24 July 2015 , access-date = 24 July 2015 If they fail to make the decision within that timeframe, they automatically lose Indian citizenship. It is unclear, however, whether it is legal for minors to hold both a foreign passport and an Indian passport.{{cite news , title = Dual Citizenship For Children Born In The US To Indian Parents , url = http://www.ilw.com/articles/2004,1217-mehta.shtm , author = Cyrus Mehta , date=2004-12-17 In May 2015, Justice Shakdher of the Delhi High Court put a hold on revoking the passports and asked the Ministry of External Affairs to explain to the court why it took this administrative action.{{cite news , url = http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/HC-stays-order-to-revoke-passports-of-Devyani-Khobragades-kids/articleshow/47323323.cms , title = HC stays order to revoke passports of Devyani Khobragade's kids , publisher = Times of India , work = Times News Network , date = 18 May 2015, access-date = 22 July 2015 In a legal response to the Delhi High Court, the Ministry of External Affairs claimed that Khobragade obtained these passports for her children in violation of Indian law and without informing the ministry, thus raising questions about her "trustworthiness and integrity".{{cite news , url = http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-mea-to-delhi-hc-devyani-khobragade-hid-the-fact-that-her-daughters-had-us-passports-2106450 , title = MEA to Delhi HC: Devyani Khobragade hid the fact that her daughters had US passports , publisher = Daily News and Analysis , work = Press Trust of India , date = 20 July 2015 , access-date = 22 July 2015 {{cite news , url = http://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/In-Affidavit-to-High-Court-MEA-Raises-Questions-About-Devyani-Khobragades-Integrity/2015/07/20/article2931017.ece , title = In Affidavit to High Court, MEA Raises Questions About Devyani Khobragade's Integrity , author = Devirupa Mitra , publisher = The New Indian Express , work = Express News Service , date = 20 July 2015 , access-date = 22 July 2015 The ministry claimed that Khobragade obtained Indian diplomatic passports for her daughters by "suppressing material facts" which established that she "wilfully and blatantly violated the Indian Passport Act".{{cite news , url = http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/devyani-broke-rules-and-hid-facts-mea-tells-high-court/article1-1371445.aspx, title = Devyani Khobragade broke rules and hid facts, MEA tells high court , publisher = Hindustan Times , date = 21 July 2015 , access-date = 22 July 2015 The ministry rejected Khobragade's petition for dual citizenship on the grounds that it is only applicable to those children who were born outside India. As Khobragade's children were born in India they do not qualify for dual citizenship.{{cite news , url = http://www.outlookindia.com/news/article/mha-rejects-khobragades-petition-of-dual-citizenship-for-kids/907560 , title = MHA Rejects Khobragade's Petition of Dual Citizenship for Kids , publisher = Outlook India , work = Press Trust of India , date = 22 July 2015 , access-date = 22 July 2015 By acquiring US passports, the children had acquired US citizenship and would require a visa to travel to India, which the ministry would be willing to grant should the need arise.{{cite news , url = http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/no-dual-citizenship-for-devyanis-children/article7453153.ece , title = No dual citizenship for Devyani Khobragade's children , work = The Hindu , date = 23 July 2015 , access-date = 23 July 2015 {{cite news , url = http://www.firstpost.com/india/pick-symbols-of-national-pride-carefully-what-misadventures-of-devyani-khobragade-taught-india-2354484.html , title = Pick symbols of national pride carefully: What (mis)adventures of Khobragade taught India , author = Sandip Roy , publisher = First Post , date = 22 July 2015 , access-date = 22 July 2015


Other

In 2016, she published a book, ''The White Sari''.{{cite news , url = http://indianexpress.com/article/lifestyle/books/controversial-diplomat-devyani-khobragade-writes-her-first-book-the-white-sari-4431522 , title = Controversial diplomat Devyani Khobragade writes her first book 'The White Sari' , website = Indian Express , access-date = 18 Dec 2016


References

{{Reflist, 30em


External links

{{Wikiquote
Original complaint filed against Khobragade in US Visa Fraud case

Devyani Khobragade
collected news and commentary at
The Times of India ''The Times of India'', also known by its abbreviation ''TOI'', is an Indian English language, English-language daily newspaper and digital news media owned and managed by The Times Group. It is the List of newspapers in India by circulation, t ...

Devyani Khobragade
collected news and commentary at
Firstpost ''Firstpost'' is an Indian online news and media website. The site is a part of the Network 18 media conglomerate owned by Reliance Industries, which also runs CNN-News18 and CNBC-TV18. The ''Network 18'' group was originally owned by Ra ...

Devyani Khobragade
collected news and commentary at
Zee News Zee News is an Indian Hindi-language news channel owned by Subhash Chandra's Essel Group. It launched on 27 August 1999 and is the flagship channel of the Zee Media Corporation. The channel has been involved in several controversies and ...

Devyani Khobragade
collected news and commentary at
NDTV New Delhi Television Ltd is an Indian news media company focusing on broadcast and digital news publication. The company is considered to be a legacy brand that pioneered independent news broadcasting in India, and is credited for launching ...

Devyani Khobragade
collected news and commentary at
Daily News and Analysis Publications established in 2005 Newspapers published in Mumbai English-language newspapers published in India Daily newspapers published in India Essel Group 2005 establishments in Maharashtra ...
{{authority control {{DEFAULTSORT:Khobragade, Devyani Year of birth missing (living people) Living people People from Gadchiroli district Indian Foreign Service officers Ambassadors of India to Cambodia Indian women ambassadors