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Who is Sibi George
Who is Sibi George, the Indian diplomat winning praise for taking on Norway press head on
Who is Sibi George, the Indian diplomat winning praise for taking on Norway press head on
Sibi George is currently serving as Secretary (West) in the MEA, overseeing India's engagement with countries in Europe, West Asia and multilateral forums.
Updated on: May 19, 2026 10:52 AM IST By Abhimanyu Kulkarni Share via Copy link Sibi George, a senior Indian diplomat, has come into the spotlight after a tense exchange with a Norwegian journalist during a Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) briefing on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Norway, where he strongly defended India’s record on democracy, human rights and press freedom. Sibi George gave Norwegian press a strong reply amid a row over PM Modi skipping questions. (MEA via ANI) Sibi George is currently serving as Secretary (West) in the MEA, overseeing India's engagement with countries in Europe, West Asia and multilateral forums. A 1993-batch Indian Foreign Service officer, he has previously served as India’s ambassador to Japan, Switzerland, Kuwait, the Holy See, Liechtenstein and the Marshall Islands. George began his diplomatic career in Cairo and later held postings in Doha, Islamabad and Washington DC, where he handled political, commercial and consular affairs. He also served as deputy chief of mission in Tehran and Riyadh and worked in several important divisions at the MEA headquarters in New Delhi, including East Asia and the India-Africa Forum Summit coordination team. Originally from Kerala’s Kottayam district, George is a gold medallist in both graduation and post-graduation and has trained at institutions including the American University in Cairo, IIM Ahmedabad and the Indian School of Business. In 2014, he received the MEA’s SK Singh Award for Excellence in the Indian Foreign Service.PM Modi’s ongoing Europe tour
PM Modi is currently on a five-nation diplomatic tour across Europe and the Gulf, aimed at strengthening India’s strategic, economic and technology partnerships with key countries. The prime minister has already visited the United Arab Emirates, the Netherlands and Sweden before arriving in Norway. Italy is scheduled to be the final stop of the tour. According to the MEA, the visit focuses on trade, energy cooperation, emerging technologies, green transition partnerships and geopolitical coordination with European nations. The Norway leg of the trip, however, attracted attention after a journalist from a Norwegian newspaper publicly criticised PM Modi for not taking questions during the joint press interaction. In a post on X, the journalist shared a video of the prime minister leaving the venue and wrote that Norway ranked first on the World Press Freedom Index while India ranked much lower. The comments later spilled into the official MEA briefing where Indian officials faced repeated questions about democracy and press freedom in India.Tense exchange with journalists in Oslo
During the briefing, the Norwegian journalist asked Indian officials why the world should “trust” India and whether the Indian government would address alleged human rights concerns. She also questioned whether PM Modi would begin taking “critical questions” from the media. Responding firmly, Sibi George said India was a “5,000-year-old civilisation” and highlighted the country’s democratic traditions, constitutional guarantees and contributions during global crises such as the Covid-19 pandemic. “You ask a question, don’t ask me to answer in a particular way,” George said at one point when interrupted during his response. George also pointed to India’s large and diverse media ecosystem, saying critics often failed to understand the scale and complexity of the country. He noted that India had hundreds of television news channels operating in multiple languages and stressed that citizens had constitutional remedies if their rights were violated. He further argued that India granted voting rights to women from the very beginning of independence in 1947, unlike several Western countries where women received voting rights decades later. “We believe in equality; we believe in human rights,” he said during the exchange. The interaction has since sparked widespread debate online, with supporters praising George for forcefully defending India’s image abroad while critics argued the questions raised by journalists deserved direct answers from the prime minister himself. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Abhimanyu Kulkarni Abhimanyu Kulkarni has spent over a decade in newsrooms and currently heads the online news desk. He orchestrates the daily narrative of the digital newsroom, managing the homepage, planning long-term news events and writing about India and the World. Abhimanyu excels in high-pressure environments, thriving particularly when navigating the complexities of major breaking news cycles. His strategic approach to digital journalism combines a meticulous eye for detail with a broad vision for organizational growth. Beyond managing the immediate news flow, he is the primary architect for the outlet’s long-term editorial initiatives, ensuring that every project meets the highest standards of journalistic integrity and audience engagement. Expertise & Beat National Affairs: Comprehensive coverage of Indian politics, policy shifts, and election cycles. Geopolitics & World News: Analysis of international relations and global conflict. Beyond the Newsroom Abhimanyu’s professional drive is mirrored by his passion for the pulse of the world; where others see the chaos of a breaking story, he finds a compelling narrative. This innate curiosity about global structures ensures he brings a grounded, human perspective to every headline he manages.Read More Human Rights Democracy Narendra Modi Norway Check India news real-time updates, latest news, CBSE 12th Result 2026 LIVE from India on Hindustan Times and more across India. Home/India News/Who Is Sibi George, The Indian Diplomat Winning Praise For Taking On Norway Press Head On See LessSibi George, a senior Indian diplomat, has come into the spotlight after a tense exchange with a Norwegian journalist during a Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) briefing on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Norway, where he strongly defended India’s record on democracy, human rights and press freedom.
Sibi George is currently serving as Secretary (West) in the MEA, overseeing India's engagement with countries in Europe, West Asia and multilateral forums. A 1993-batch Indian Foreign Service officer, he has previously served as India’s ambassador to Japan, Switzerland, Kuwait, the Holy See, Liechtenstein and the Marshall Islands.
George began his diplomatic career in Cairo and later held postings in Doha, Islamabad and Washington DC, where he handled political, commercial and consular affairs. He also served as deputy chief of mission in Tehran and Riyadh and worked in several important divisions at the MEA headquarters in New Delhi, including East Asia and the India-Africa Forum Summit coordination team.
Originally from Kerala’s Kottayam district, George is a gold medallist in both graduation and post-graduation and has trained at institutions including the American University in Cairo, IIM Ahmedabad and the Indian School of Business. In 2014, he received the MEA’s SK Singh Award for Excellence in the Indian Foreign Service.
The prime minister has already visited the United Arab Emirates, the Netherlands and Sweden before arriving in Norway. Italy is scheduled to be the final stop of the tour. According to the MEA, the visit focuses on trade, energy cooperation, emerging technologies, green transition partnerships and geopolitical coordination with European nations.
The Norway leg of the trip, however, attracted attention after a journalist from a Norwegian newspaper publicly criticised PM Modi for not taking questions during the joint press interaction. In a post on X, the journalist shared a video of the prime minister leaving the venue and wrote that Norway ranked first on the World Press Freedom Index while India ranked much lower.
The comments later spilled into the official MEA briefing where Indian officials faced repeated questions about democracy and press freedom in India.
Responding firmly, Sibi George said India was a “5,000-year-old civilisation” and highlighted the country’s democratic traditions, constitutional guarantees and contributions during global crises such as the Covid-19 pandemic.
“You ask a question, don’t ask me to answer in a particular way,” George said at one point when interrupted during his response.
George also pointed to India’s large and diverse media ecosystem, saying critics often failed to understand the scale and complexity of the country. He noted that India had hundreds of television news channels operating in multiple languages and stressed that citizens had constitutional remedies if their rights were violated.
He further argued that India granted voting rights to women from the very beginning of independence in 1947, unlike several Western countries where women received voting rights decades later. “We believe in equality; we believe in human rights,” he said during the exchange.
The interaction has since sparked widespread debate online, with supporters praising George for forcefully defending India’s image abroad while critics argued the questions raised by journalists deserved direct answers from the prime minister himself.
Source: HindustanTimes
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