Born on May 13, 1940, Gopalaswami Parthasarathy is a career Foreign Service Officer who retired from Service on May 31, 2000. Prior to his entry to the Indian Foreign Service Mr. Parthasarathy was a Commissioned Officer in the Indian Army (1963-1968), after having graduated with a B.E. Degree in Electrical Engineering from the College of Engineering, Guindy, Madras in 1962 He has served as Ambassador of India to Myanmar, 1992-95, High Commissioner of India to Australia 1995- 98, High Commissioner of India to Pakistan 1998-2000 and High Commissioner of India, Cyprus 1990-92. He also served in Indian Missions abroad as Second/First Secretary, Embassy of India, Moscow (1969-1973), Deputy High Commissioner to Tanzania (1974-1976), Counsellor, (Political and Press), Embassy of India, Washington D.C., (1978- 1981); and Consul General of India, Karachi (1982-1985).

In New Delhi, Mr. Parthasarathy was Deputy Secretary in the Foreign Secretary’s Office (1976-1978). He has served as Spokesman, Ministry of External Affairs and Information Adviser and Spokesman in the Prime Minister’s Office (1985-90). He has been a member of Indian Delegations in several international conferences including summits at United Nations, Non-Aligned Movement and SAARC.

Mr. Parthasarathy is presently a Professor in the Centre for Policy Research in New Delhi. He is also a member of the Executive Committee of the Centre for Air Power Studies in New Delhi. He was a Member of the Government of India’s Task Force to Review National Security Structures in India. He recently headed the Special Committee on Documenting, Narrating and Exhibiting Sardar Patel’s role in the Integration of Princely States and Unification of India. He is on the Panel of Experts from India for Track 2 Dialogue with ASEAN and Director in the India-Sri Lanka Foundation. His main areas of interest are developments in India’s neighbourhood and issues of economic integration, energy, national security and terrorism.

Mr. Parthasarathy is a Columnist, writing for a number of newspapers magazines and Academic Journals in India and abroad on foreign policy and national security issues.