Raveesh Kumar
{{Short description|Indian Civil Servant (IFS Officer)}}
{{distinguish|text=Ravish Kumar, an Indian TV journalist}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Use Indian English|date=March 2023}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-suffix = IFS
| name = Raveesh Kumar
| image =
| office = Ambassador of India in Czech Republic
| predecessor = Hemant H. Kotalwar
| successor =
| term_start = 27 June 2024{{cite web | url=https://www.eoiprague.gov.in/page/amb-profile/ | title=Embassy of India, Prague, Czech Republic : Ambassador Profile }}
| term_end =
| primeminister = Narendra Modi
| office1 = Ambassador of India in Finland and Estonia
| predecessor1 = Vani Rao
| successor1 = Hemant H. Kotalwar
| term_start1 = 17 July 2020{{Cite web|url=https://www.mea.gov.in/press-releases.htm?dtl/32721/Shri_Raveesh_Kumar_appointed_as_the_next_Ambassador_of_India_to_Finland|title=Shri Raveesh Kumar appointed as the next Ambassador of India to Finland}}
| term_end1 = 26 June 2024
| primeminister1 = Narendra Modi
| office2 = Official Spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs
| predecessor2 = Gopal Bagalay
| successor2 = Anurag Srivastava
| primeminister2 = Narendra Modi
| term_start2 = 21 July 2017{{Cite web|url=https://www.thequint.com/amp/story/news/gopal-baglay-appointed-joint-secretary-pmo|title = Raveesh Kumar to Replace Gopal Baglay as MEA Spokesperson|date = 21 July 2017}}
| term_end2 = 6 April 2020{{cite tweet|number=1247054363542970369|user=raveesh_kumar|title=Time to pass the baton. After 33 months of an incredible opportunity to serve the nation, my best wishes to Anurag…|date=6 April 2020}}
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1971|1|26}}
| birth_place = Bhagalpur, Bihar, India
| spouse = Ranjana Raveesh
| children = 2
| nationality = India
| alma_mater = Mount Assisi School
Delhi Public School, Mathura Road
Hansraj College
Delhi University
| occupation = IFS
| profession = Diplomat
}}
Raveesh Kumar ( born 26 January 1971){{Citation needed|date=January 2025|reason=BLP}} is an Indian diplomat in the Indian Foreign Service of 1995 batch. Currently, he is an Indian ambassador to the Czech Republic. Previously, he served as Indian ambassador to Finland also accredited to Estonia, residing in Helsinki.{{cite web |title=Shri Raveesh Kumar appointed as the next Ambassador of India to Finland |url=https://www.mea.gov.in/press-releases.htm?dtl/32721/Shri_Raveesh_Kumar_appointed_as_the_next_Ambassador_of_India_to_Finland |website=mea.gov.in |access-date=3 June 2020}} He was the former official spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in the Government of India. He was the youngest ever official spokesperson. He was the Consul General of India in Frankfurt, Germany before being appointed as the spokesperson of the MEA.
Early life and education
Raveesh Kumar was born in Nathnagar, Bhagalpur district of Bihar. He attended Mount Assisi School, Bhagalpur till class 10 after which he attended Delhi Public School, Mathura Road till class 12. He holds a bachelor's degree with Honours in History from Hansraj College, Delhi University.{{Cite web|url=https://www.cgifrankfurt.de/pages.php?id=12|title=Consul General, Frankfurt Germany|access-date=2017-07-23|archive-date=2018-08-08|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180808234046/https://www.cgifrankfurt.de/pages.php?id=12|url-status=dead}}
Diplomatic career
Kumar joined the Indian Foreign Service in 1995, through the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) conducted Civil Service Examination. He started his diplomatic career at the Indian Mission in Jakarta, Indonesia in 1997. This was followed by posting in Thimpu, Bhutan as Second Secretary/First Secretary, where he looked after development assistance projects. During his stint in New Delhi from 2004 to 2007, he was the Desk Officer at the East Asia desk, covering Japan and Republic of Korea. He was then posted to London, United Kingdom as Political Counsellor responsible for bilateral political relationships and engagements with the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Subsequently, he moved as Deputy Chief of Mission to Jakarta from September 2010 to August 2013, followed by his posting as Consul General of India in Frankfurt, Germany from August 2013 to July 2017. Kumar was the Official Spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs and Joint Secretary (External Publicity) from July 2017 till April 2020.{{Cite web|url=https://www.indembhelsinki.gov.in/ambassador.php|title=Ambassador, Helsinki Finland}}
On 11 January 2024, Kumar was appointed as the next Ambassador of India to Czech Republic.{{Cite web|url=https://www.mea.gov.in/press-releases.htm?dtl/37506/Shri_Raveesh_Kumar_appointed_as_the_next_Ambassador_of_India_to_the_Czech_Republic|title=Appointment to Prague}} On, 27 June 2024 he took charge as Indian ambassador to the Czech Republic.