Photo U.S. State Department. Pol Kapoor
The swearing-in ceremony took place on October 23 in the morning hours.
Before taking this position, Kapoor worked as a visiting scholar at the Hoover Institution and in the State Department's Policy Planning Staff. Additionally, he taught at Claremont McKenna College.
Pol Kapoor is the author of several significant works, including "Jihad as Grand Strategy: Islamic Militancy, National Security, and the Pakistani State" and "Dangerous Deterrence: Nuclear Weapons Proliferation and Conflict in South Asia." He is also a co-author of the book "India, Pakistan, and the Bomb: Debating Nuclear Stability in South Asia" and a co-editor of the publication "Nuclear Security Issues: Perspectives from the U.S. and India."
His scholarly articles are published in leading academic journals and collections. Kapoor has also overseen the "Track 1.5" strategic dialogue between the U.S. and India and other initiatives related to U.S.-India relations on behalf of the U.S. Department of Defense.
Kapoor replaces Donald Lu, who held this position from September 2021 until January 2025.
The Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs is responsible for shaping U.S. foreign policy toward countries such as Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.
