State Dept firings spare India desk, tech talks may face delays

India-US diplomacy is expected to remain broadly unaffected after America’s State Department laid off over 1,300 diplomats last week.

- Shashank Mattoo

In one of the largest reorganisations in US diplomatic history, diplomats serving in key functional offices dealing with issues like migration, democracy and labour as well as those handling sensitive portfolios like China were let go. However, key teams handling the diplomatic relationship with India have largely faced little disruption.

“The Department conducted Reductions in Force (RIFs) affecting certain non-core, duplicative, or redundant domestic offices and functions. Mission-critical functions and personnel from these offices will be retained and integrated elsewhere in the Department.

The reorganisation plan covers our domestic offices and personnel. It does not address our overseas operations,” said a State Department spokesperson in response to a query from Hindustan Times.