NEW DELHI: Anmol Sher Singh Bedi, an Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer from Amritsar, is representing India on disarmament and international security issues at the multilateral forums in Geneva.
Currently serving as Senior Adviser (Disarmament) at India’s Permanent Mission to the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva, Bedi has emerged on the global diplomatic stage nearly a decade after securing the second rank in the UPSC Civil Services Examination.
The official website of India’s Permanent Mission to the Conference on Disarmament lists Bedi as Senior Adviser (Disarmament). The mission’s records were last updated in August 2026.
In October 2026, he delivered India’s statement during the UN General Assembly’s 81st Session First Committee discussions on working methods. In a subsequent post on X, Bedi highlighted the importance of rebuilding confidence in multilateral institutions and said that efforts towards meaningful reform must begin with the United Nations Security Council.
Who Is Anmol Sher Singh Bedi?
Anmol Sher Singh Bedi shot to national prominence after securing All India Rank 2 in the UPSC Civil Services Examination 2016, with the results announced in June 2017.
The Union Public Service Commission’s results record him as the second-ranked candidate overall and the top-ranked male candidate. He had graduated with a degree in Computer Science from BITS Pilani.
Despite his exceptionally high rank, Bedi chose the Indian Foreign Service over the Indian Administrative Service, reflecting his long-standing interest in diplomacy and representing India internationally.
The service allocation records for CSE 2016 show Bedi, with Rank 2, allotted to the Indian Foreign Service.
From Amritsar to BITS Pilani
Bedi was born and raised in Amritsar, Punjab. He completed his schooling at Spring Dale Senior School in Amritsar before pursuing engineering at BITS Pilani.
He graduated in Computer Science in 2016. His academic background in engineering was followed by a career that would take him from the UPSC examination to India’s diplomatic missions and eventually to one of the world’s principal multilateral centres for disarmament negotiations.
A BITS Pilani publication also records Bedi among the institution’s alumni who cleared the UPSC examination, noting that he secured the second All India Rank in the 2016 examination.
UPSC AIR 2 in His First Attempt
Bedi achieved the remarkable feat of securing AIR 2 in his first attempt at the Civil Services Examination.
The official UPSC results described him as the second-ranked candidate among the successful candidates and noted his Computer Science engineering degree from BITS Pilani.
His achievement attracted considerable attention because he did not use the rank to pursue the IAS. Instead, he opted for the Indian Foreign Service, the career path that aligned with his interest in international affairs and diplomacy.
Contemporary reports from his hometown described his IFS preference as a deliberate career choice rather than a consequence of being unable to secure the IAS.
Choosing IFS Over IAS
For a candidate finishing second in the Civil Services Examination, the choice of service becomes particularly significant.
Bedi opted for the IFS, a service that places officers at the centre of India’s bilateral and multilateral diplomatic engagement. His subsequent career has taken him into areas including international security, disarmament and multilateral negotiations.
His current Geneva assignment is closely connected to these interests, with his work involving India’s engagement with the Conference on Disarmament and other international forums dealing with security-related issues.
External Affairs Minister’s Gold Medal
Bedi continued to distinguish himself after entering the IFS.
He was awarded the External Affairs Minister’s Gold Medal for Best Officer Trainee for the 2017 IFS officer trainee batch. The official Sushma Swaraj Institute of Foreign Service records confirm Bedi as the recipient for the 2017 batch.
The award was presented during his diplomatic training and marked another significant milestone early in his foreign service career.
He subsequently began his professional career in the Ministry of External Affairs, including an initial assignment in New Delhi.
From Diplomatic Training to Geneva
Bedi’s career has since moved increasingly towards multilateral diplomacy.
He has worked on international issues that require negotiations among countries and coordination across diplomatic and technical forums. His present assignment at the Permanent Mission of India to the Conference on Disarmament places him directly in the field of international security and arms-control diplomacy.
The official Indian mission website currently lists him as Senior Adviser (Disarmament) in Geneva.
He has also represented India in international discussions related to emerging security challenges. A 2025 UN disarmament document, for instance, listed Bedi as Senior Adviser (Disarmament) and an alternate head of India’s delegation to the Group of Governmental Experts on lethal autonomous weapons systems.
India’s UN Reform Message
Bedi’s recent intervention at the UN General Assembly’s First Committee has once again brought his diplomatic role into focus.
During the debate on working methods at the 81st Session of the UN General Assembly First Committee, which deals with disarmament and international security, he delivered India’s statement.
In his subsequent remarks, Bedi stressed the importance of restoring confidence in the multilateral system and linked that objective with reform of the UN Security Council.
India has for years advocated reform of the Security Council, arguing that its composition should better reflect contemporary global realities and provide greater representation to developing countries.
Bedi’s intervention therefore placed India’s broader position on multilateral reform within a discussion focused on how the UN system functions and how confidence in international institutions can be strengthened.
A Diplomatic Career Built Around Multilateralism
From an engineering graduate in Amritsar to a second-ranked UPSC candidate and now a senior Indian diplomat in Geneva, Bedi’s career has followed a clear trajectory towards international affairs.
His decision to join the IFS after securing AIR 2, followed by the External Affairs Minister’s Gold Medal and assignments dealing with disarmament and international security, has placed him in a specialised area of Indian diplomacy.
Today, as Senior Adviser (Disarmament) at India’s Permanent Mission to the Conference on Disarmament, Bedi is part of India’s diplomatic engagement on some of the most complex questions involving global security, disarmament and the future of multilateral institutions.
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