Dr Shashi Tharoor (born on 9th March 1956) is an Indian politician, former international civil servant, diplomat, bureaucrat, writer and public intellectual. Currently, he is 18th Lok Sabha MP representing the Thiruvananthapuram constituency of Kerala. He began his political career by joining the Indian National Congress and successfully represented the party from Thiruvananthapuram constituency of Kerala by winning in the Lok Sabha elections and becoming  a member of parliament four times in 2009, 2014, 2019 and 2024.

During the Congress-led UPA government, Tharoor served as Minister of State for External Affairs. During his nearly three-decade-long prior career at the United Nations, he served as a peacekeeper, refugee worker, and administrator at the highest levels, serving as Under-Secretary General during Kofi Annan’s leadership of the organisation. He had the great pleasure and honour of meeting His Holiness the Dalai lama on several occasions scattered over four decades. He is well-versed in the Tibetan issue and has always been a supporter and friend of Tibet.