Kshitij Tyagi, a Counsellor at India's Permanent Mission to the United Nations in Geneva, made headlines with his bold speech at the UN, where he strongly criticised Pakistan, labelling it a "failed state" dependent on "global aid and charity."
Speaking during the high-level segment of the 58th Regular Session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva on Wednesday, February 26, Tyagi delivered a scathing response after Pakistan once again brought up the issue of Jammu and Kashmir at the international forum, prompting India to firmly defend its position.
Who is Kshitij Tyagi?
Kshitij Tyagi is an engineer-turned-diplomat. According to the information available on his official LinkedIN profile, he holds a bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering and an MTech in thermal energy and environment engineering, both from IIT Kharagpur.
Tyagi began his career as a business analyst with real estate firm Jones Lang LaSalle, working there from 2007 to 2010. In April 2010, he joined the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy as a scientist, a role he held for over two years before successfully clearing the highly competitive Indian civil services exam in 2012.
After completing his training at the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy and the Foreign Service Institute in Delhi, Kshitij Tyagi began his diplomatic career.
In June 2014, he was posted as Third Secretary at the Indian Embassy in Lisbon. After nearly 18 months, he moved to Brazil as Second Secretary in December 2015, before being promoted to First Secretary at the Indian Embassy in Egypt in 2018. In January 2024, Tyagi joined India's Permanent Mission to the UN as First Secretary and was promoted to Counsellor by January 2025, within a year.
What Did Tyagi Say at UN?
Representing India at the UN, Tyagi delivered a strong rebuttal to Pakistan's allegations about Jammu and Kashmir. "It is regrettable to see Pakistan's so-called leaders and delegates continuing to dutifully spread falsehoods handed down by its military terrorist complex," he responded.
#WATCH | Geneva: At the 7th Meeting - 58th Session of Human Rights Council, Indian Diplomat Kshitij Tyagi says, "India is exercising its right of reply in response to the baseless and malicious references made by Pakistan. It is regrettable to see Pakistan's so-called leaders and… pic.twitter.com/7Bg5j8jZJX
— ANI (@ANI) February 26, 2025
Tyagi further emphasised that Jammu and Kashmir, along with Ladakh, have always been and will remain an integral part of India. He stated, "The unprecedented political, social and economic progress in J&K in the past few years speaks for itself. These successes are a testament to the people's trust in the government's commitment to bring normalcy to a region scarred by decades of Pakistan-sponsored terrorism."
He also urged Pakistan to move past its fixation with India, saying it should focus on "providing actual governance and justice to its own people."
Tyagi further pointed out that Pakistan, with its record of human rights violations, minority persecution, and crumbling democracy, is in no position to lecture others. He reiterated that Pakistan should focus on "providing actual governance and justice to its own people" instead of its unhealthy obsession with India.