| Venu Rajamony | |
| Office: | Officer on Special Duty (External Cooperation) to the State Government of Kerala |
| Term Start: | 17 September 2021 |
| Chief Minister: | Pinarayi Vijayan |
| Office1: | Ambassador of India to the Netherlands |
| Term Start1: | 8 May 2017 |
| Term End1: | 2020 |
| Predecessor1: | J.S. Mukul |
| Successor1: | Pradeep Kumar Rawat |
| Office2: | Press Secretary, President of India |
| President2: | Pranab Mukherjee |
| Term Start2: | 2012 |
| Term End2: | 2017 |
| Office3: | Consul General of India to Dubai |
| Term Start3: | 2007 |
| Term End3: | 2010 |
| Predecessor3: | Y.K. Sinha |
| Successor3: | Sanjay Verma |
| Birth Date: | 12 November 1960 |
| Occupation: | Diplomat IFS |
| Alma Mater: | Mahatma Gandhi University, Kerala Jawaharlal Nehru University |
| Nationality: | Indian |
| Spouse: | Saroj Thapa |
| Children: | Vasant Venu, Karthik Venu |
| Term End: | 16 September 2023 |
Venu Rajamony (born 12 November 1960) is an Indian diplomat and professor affiliated with the Indian Foreign Service. He currently serves as faculty teaching Diplomatic Practice at the Jindal Global Law School of the O.P. Jindal Global University, Sonipat, Haryana. On September 17, 2021, he assumed the role of Officer on Special Duty for External Cooperation in the Government of Kerala, holding the rank of Chief Secretary with an office at Kerala House, New Delhi. However, he resigned from this position on September 16, 2023, citing disagreements with the Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. [1] He held the position of Ambassador of India to the Netherlands from 2017 to 2020.[2] [3] [4] [5] He also served as the Permanent Representative of India to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in The Hague, overseeing India’s relations with the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA).
In addition, he served as the Press Secretary to the President of India[6] during the tenure of President Pranab Mukherjee from 2012 to 2017.
Born in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, he completed his primary education there before relocating with his parents to Kochi. He holds degrees in Politics from Kerala University and Law from Mahatma Gandhi University, Kerala, and a postgraduate degree in International Studies from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi.
He embarked on his career as a journalist with the Indian Express, Kochi, in 1983 and qualified for the Indian Foreign Service in 1986. Fluent in the Chinese language, Rajamony is also proficient in Malayalam, Tamil, Hindi, and French. He has served as a diplomat in Indian missions in Hong Kong, Beijing, Geneva, Dubai, and Washington, D.C.
Venu Rajamony was born on 12 November 1960 in Thiruvananthapuram, the capital of the South Indian state of Kerala, to K S Rajamony, a lawyer, and Seetha Rajamony.
K S Rajamony practiced law in Thiruvananthapuram and Kochi for more than 40 years and was involved in the formation of the first Bar Council of Kerala; the Lok Adalat, which provided free legal services to the poor; the Kerala People's Arts Club (KPAC), and the Thiruvananthapuram Flying Club. Seetha Rajamony, who had studied in Holy Angels Convent, Women's College, and University College was active in the Trivandrum Women’s Club and Inner Wheel Club.
Growing up in Kunnumpuram behind the Ayurveda College in Thiruvananthapuram, Venu Rajamony completed his primary education in Holy Angels Convent. The next three years were spent in St. Joseph's School near the General Hospital. Rajamony's high school days in St. Joseph's of the Woods, Kalamassery (1973–1976) began with his family's shift to Kochi. He subsequently pursued a pre-degree course at Maharajas College, Ernakulam (1976–1978) and graduated from there in 1981 with a BA in Politics. He was elected as Chairman of the Maharaja's College Students' Union during 1980–81 under the panel of Kerala Students Union.[7]
Moving to New Delhi to pursue a Master's degree in International Studies from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), he served as Vice President of the Students' Union there during 1981 and 1982.[8] Later, he earned an LLB degree from Ernakulam Law College, Mahatma Gandhi University (1983–1986).
Rajamony worked as a staff correspondent for the Indian Express, Kochi, from 1983 to 1986. He cleared the Indian Foreign Service exam in 1986 at University College, Thiruvananthapuram. Rajamony also holds a Certificate in Chinese Language from the University of Hong Kong.[9]
Venu Rajamony is married to Saroj Thapa, an educationist from Darjeeling, and they have two sons.
While serving as Consul General of India in Dubai from 2007 to 2010, Rajamony initiated several measures for the welfare of the two million-strong Indian community there and to enhance trade and investment between the UAE and India.[10]
During his tenure in the Netherlands, Rajamony represented India before the ICJ in The Hague in the case of "Advisory Opinion concerning the Legal Consequences of the Separation of the Chagos Archipelago from Mauritius."[11] [12] He was part of the Indian delegation before the ICJ in the Jadhav case (India Vs. Pakistan)[13] [14] and served as Co-Agent of India in the Enrica Lexie incident case (Italy Vs. India)[15] before the PCA.[16] Additionally, he led the Indian delegation to various sessions of the Conference of States Parties and Executive Council of the OPCW.[17]
As Officer on Special Duty (OSD), Ambassador Rajamony's role involves engaging with the Indian Ministry of External Affairs, foreign missions in India, and Indian diplomatic missions abroad on various issues, particularly those concerning the Kerala diaspora. He is tasked with exploring opportunities for external cooperation in sectors such as business, trade, investments, finance, skill development, education, and culture. Additionally, he assists the state government in its interactions with foreign officials and business delegations visiting Kerala, as well as in the aftermath of official visits by the Chief Minister of Kerala abroad.
Venu Rajamony's book "What Can We Learn From The Dutch: Rebuilding Kerala Post 2018 Floods" was launched in Kerala in January 2019.[18] The book delves into the Dutch response to floods throughout history, their advancements in water management, and the potential lessons Kerala can glean from their experiences. It emphasizes the importance of the state acquiring technical knowledge and expertise to prevent similar disasters in the future.
Another notable work is the coffee table book titled "India and the UAE: In Celebration of a Legendary Friendship." A Malayalam version of the book was released in Kerala in 2013, and an Arabic version was published in the UAE in 2014.
His book "India and the Netherlands - Past, Present and Future" has garnered acclaim as an encyclopaedia of the cross-cultural legacy between India and the Netherlands. It offers vivid snapshots of relations between the two nations over the centuries and vividly portrays the influential personalities whose contributions shaped the Indo-Dutch discourse.[19]
He also authored a monograph titled "India-China-US Triangle: A Soft Balance of Power in the Making" during his fellowship at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington, DC, from 2001 to 2002.