London, May 9 (ANI): India's High Commissioner designate to the United Kingdom Shiv Shankar Mukherjee assumed formal charge of his responsibilities here today.

A 1971-batch officer of the Indian Foreign Service, Mukherjee succeeds Kamlesh Sharma, who was recently elected as the Commonwealth Secretary General.

Mukherjee moves to London after an eventful and successful three-year stint in Kathmandu during which the Himalayan country witnessed revolutionary changes resulting in the abolition of monarchy.

With India having a crucial role in Nepal, he is credited with having efficiently handled the situation arising in that country since King Gyanendra seized power in February 2005. A major popular movement ensued which resulted in the King giving up absolute power and the rebel Maoists joining the government after decade-long fighting against the system.

Since then, Nepal has held an election for its newly formed Constituent Assembly (April 10) in which the Maoists surprisingly emerged the winners, securing a simple majority.

Mukherjee has done a wide range of diplomatic assignments in Africa, Asia, Europe, the USA and at the Ministry of External Affairs, New Delhi. He has served in Damascus, Brussels, Lusaka, Washington, Windhoek, Cairo and Pretoria.

Ambassador Mukherjee has been the Spokesperson of the Indian Foreign Ministry and has also served as the Director General of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations.

Before Nepal, Ambassador Mukherjee was India's High Commissioner to South Africa. He has also served as India's Ambassador to Egypt and High Commissioner to Namibia.

Ambassador Mukherjee is married with two children. He is a Post Graduate in Chemistry from Delhi University and speaks English Hindi, Bengali and Arabic.

Mukherjee has been replaced in Kathmandu by Rakesh Sood, who was India's Ambassador to Afghanistan before taking up his latest diplomatic assignment. (ANI)