Who Is Paul Kapur? Indian-Origin Man Sworn In As Top US Diplomat For South And Central Asian Affairs

Indian-American author and security expert Paul Kapur has officially taken charge as the new Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs at the US Department of State. His appointment was confirmed in a social media post by the Bureau late Wednesday night.

“Welcome to @State_SCA, Assistant Secretary Paul Kapur! This morning Dr Kapur was officially sworn in as the Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs,” the post said.

As Assistant Secretary, Kapur will oversee the United States’ diplomatic engagement and strategic partnerships in countries across South and Central Asia, including India, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Maldives, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. He succeeds Donald Lu, who held the position since 2021.

Born in New Delhi to an Indian father and an American mother, Kapur has a strong academic and professional background in international security. He served as a professor in the Department of National Security Affairs at the US Naval Postgraduate School and is currently a visiting fellow at Stanford University’s Hoover Institution.

From 2020 to 2021, Kapur was part of the State Department’s Policy Planning Staff, where he worked on South and Central Asia issues, Indo-Pacific strategy, and US-India relations. He is also a widely published author, focusing on South Asia and the Indo-Pacific region, nuclear weapons, deterrence, and Islamist militancy.

In his book, ‘Jihad as Grand Strategy: Islamist Militancy, National Security, and the Pakistani State,’ Kapur argued that Pakistan’s use of jihad was not due to instability, but a deliberate strategy by the government.

Kapur holds a Bachelor’s degree from Amherst College and earned his PhD from the University of Chicago. His appointment is seen as a significant step in strengthening US diplomatic efforts in the region, given his deep expertise in South and Central Asian security and strategic affairs.

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