Ranendra "Ronen" Sen (born 9 April 1944) is an Indian diplomat who was India's ambassador to the

United States of America The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territo ...

from August 2004 to March 2009. His contribution to the landmark US India Nuclear Deal of 2005 is considered of immense importance.

Career

Mr. Sen served as an Independent Director of

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, from 1 June 2010 till 2012. On 1 April 2015, Mr. Sen was appointed as a non-executive independent director on the board of

Tata Sons Tata Sons Private Limited is the parent company of the Tata Group and holds the bulk of shareholding in the Tata group of companies including their land holdings across India, tea estates and steel plants. It is a privately owned conglomerate of ...

, the promoter company of major companies in the

Tata Group The Tata Group () is an Indian multinational conglomerate headquartered in Mumbai. Established in 1868, it is India's largest conglomerate, with products and services in over 150 countries, and operations in 100 countries across six continents ...

Controversies

"Headless chicken" remark

In August 2007, Sen was issued notice (and subsequently censured) by the Parliamentary Privileges Committee to explain the "headless chicken" remark he was alleged to have made in an off-the-record interview published by Rediff.com on 20, August 2007, titled:
We will have zero credibility
on the Atomic Energy Pact. Sen had said:

It has been approved here (in Washington, DC) by the President, and there (in New Delhi) it's been approved by the Indian cabinet. So why do you have all this running around like a headless chicken, looking for a comment here or comment there, and these little storms in a tea-cup?

Following the uproar over this remark, Sen later tendered his apology before the Parliamentary Privileges Committee. Sen clarified:

My comment about "running round like headless chicken looking for a comment here or comment there" was a tactless observation on some of my media friends, and most certainly not with reference to any Honourable Member of Parliament.

The

Lok Sabha The Lok Sabha, constitutionally the House of the People, is the lower house of India's bicameral Parliament, with the upper house being the Rajya Sabha. Members of the Lok Sabha are elected by an adult universal suffrage and a first-p ...

Committee and the

Rajya Sabha The Rajya Sabha, constitutionally the Council of States, is the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of India. , it has a maximum membership of 245, of which 233 are elected by the legislatures of the states and union territories using si ...

, panel decided to close the issue, since "Sen has tendered unconditional and sincere apologies". The Rajya Sabha Committee said, in it report, tabled in the House:

In view of Sen's acceptance of having made the impugned remarks and that the same were unwarranted, and having tendered his unconditional apology, the Committee recommends that the matter should be allowed to rest here.

In its uncharacteristic censure, the Rajya Sabha panel felt his remarks were:

not only in poor taste but also unwarranted... personal frame of mind should not have influenced public utterances of a senior and experienced diplomat... The Committee expects that such lapses, as admitted by him, shall not recur

References

External links

The Washington Diplomat Newspaper - Ambassador profile

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sen, Ronen Ambassadors of India to the United States Ambassadors of India to Russia Ambassadors of India to Mexico Ambassadors of India to Germany High Commissioners of India to the United Kingdom 1944 births University of Calcutta alumni Living people Recipients of the Padma Bhushan in civil service