- By Shubham Bajpai
- Tue, 19 May 2026 04:24 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Senior Indian diplomat Sibi George has made headlines with a bold response to a Norwegian journalist during a Minister of External Affairs (MEA) briefing on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent visit to the European country.
During the briefing, the journalist asked Indian officials why the other countries should trust India. The journalist also asked about press freedom in India, which led to a heated exchange. George was seen schooling the journalist for being assertive while he was responding. To this, Sibi said, "This is my presser, you asked me a question, let me answer!"
He went on and said, "You know how many stories are up here. We have how many breaking news stories are coming every day in the evening? At least 200 TV channels in Delhi alone, in English language, in Hindi language and multiple languages. People have no understanding of the scale of India."
"People have no understanding. They read, you know, one or two news reports published by some godforsaken, ignorant NGOs and then come and ask questions," George added.
The sharp exchange has made George a much-talked-about figure on the internet, with people praising him for his quick and mindful response.
Who is Sibi George?
Belonging to Kerala's Kottayam district, George is a gold medalist in graduation and post-graduation and a 1993-batch IFS officer. He went to American University in Cairo, IIM Ahmedabad and the Indian School of Business.
He started his diplomatic career in Egypt and later held postings in Qatar, Pakistan and the United States.
George also served as deputy chief of mission in Iran and Saudi Arabia and worked in several important divisions at the MEA headquarters in New Delhi.
In 2014, he was given the MEA’s SK Singh Award for Excellence in the IFS. George has served as India’s ambassador to Switzerland, Kuwait, Japan, the Holy See, Liechtenstein and the Marshall Islands.
He is currently serving as Secretary (West) in the MEA. He oversees India's relationship and engagement with countries in West Asia and Europe, along with multilateral forums.