Indian Ambassador to UN's Hyderabad connection

Hyderabad: India's Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nation Syed Akbaruddin, symbolic gesture of extending 'hand for friendship' to Pakistani journalists in New York, received wide appreciation as the video clip of the press meet went viral on social media. Lesser known fact about the Indian Foreign Service officer is that he has a Hyderabad connection.

He is the son of Professor Syed Bashiruddin, who served as the head of Communication and Journalism Department in Osmania University for 25 long years. He was a teacher par excellence besides being one of the pioneers of Communication and Journalism education in the country.

He also held the posts of Vice Chancellor Dr B R Ambedkar Open University, Indian Ambassador to Qatar and Director of the Research Wing of the Film and Television Institute of India, Pune to name a few.

Bashiruddin's son Akbaruddin completed his schooling from the reputed Hyderabad Public School. The holder of a master's degree in political science and international relations, Akbaruddin was born on 27 April 1960. He is married and has two children.

Akbaruddin, earlier worked as External Affairs Ministry spokesperson (2012-15) and was Prime Minister Narendra Modi's spokesperson on his foreign travels.