Obama picks Nisha for S. Asia

US President Barack Obama has nominated an accomplished Indian-American woman administrator as America’s new point person for South Asia to succeed Robert Blake. Subject to confirmation by the Senate, Nisha Desai Biswal, who is currently the assistant administrator for Asia at the US Agency for International Development (USAID), will replace incumbent Robert Blake to head the South Asia bureau in the US state department. Ms Desai is expected to become the first person of Indian-origin to head the bureau, which oversees US foreign policy and relations with India, Pakistan, Banglad-esh, Afghanistan, Sri Lan-ka, Nepal, Maldives and Bhutan. Ms Biswal’s nomination by Mr Obama came on Thursday. — PTI