Dr Shashi Tharoor (born on 9th March 1956) is an Indian politician, former international civil servant, diplomat, bureaucrat, writer and public intellectual. Currently, a third-term Lok Sabha MP representing the Thiruvananthapuram constituency of Kerala. He has previously served as Minister of State for Human Resource Development and Minister of State for External Affairs in the Government of India. 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.