It is on board the Air India One (the  that journalists accompanying President Pranab Mukherjee on his foreign tours can catch a glimpse what a warm, jocular person he is. 

R Rajagopalan who is accompanying the president on his 4-day visit to China said that the President observed that Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar has been literally hopping on and off flights. Jaishankar who was with Prime Minister Modi during his historic visit to Iran touched down in New Delhi at 2 am and was ready to board the Air India One again at 10:30 am with the President.

He asked the foreign secretary to sit in the empty seat next to him, but Jaishankar stood aside as the seat next to the President is meant for the Union Minister in-waiting. But Santosh Gangwar who is the union minister in-waiting choose to remain seated at his place. Clearly, the foreign secretary is a stickler for protocol.

The president spent a few minutes with the media delegation accompanying him and was in his usual jovial mood.


Pic: The President with his daughter Sharmishtha Mukherjee land at Guangzhou