New Delhi: D Bala Venkatesh Verma, Joint Secretary Disarmament in the Ministry of External Affairs was conferred on Friday with the first S K Singh Award for excellence in the Indian Foreign Service.
The award was presented to him by UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi in recognition of his "extradordinary efforts" to strengthen India`s position during the Indo-US nuclear deal.
Speaking on the occasion, Vice President Hamid Ansari fondly recalled his association with the late Rajasthan Governor and said that the award institued in his name confers recognition not on one person but will also motivate a great many officers. Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai said the jury chose for the award a diplomat, who made a differnce. India`s Ambassador to US, Nirupama Rao, who gave an introduction of the awardee and read the citation in absence of Minister of External Affairs S M Krishna, described Verma as one of the most distinguished bureaucrats practising unquestionable professionalism. Rao, a former foreign secretary, said the award was conferred upon Verma for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen India`s position in the India-US nuclear deal as a key member of the India`s negotating team for the 123 agreement in 2008. PTI