Washington, D.C., USA: Indian-American Security Expert Paul Kapur Takes Oath as US Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asian Affairs

Paul Kapur, an Indian-American author and expert in security studies, has officially assumed the role of Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs at the United States Department of State.

The Bureau confirmed his appointment through a social media announcement late Wednesday evening.

"Welcome to @State_SCA, Assistant Secretary Paul Kapur! This morning, Dr. Kapur officially took the oath as Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs," the post read.

In this role, Kapur will manage the United States' diplomatic relations and strategic cooperation with countries including India, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Maldives, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.

He succeeds Donald Lu, who had held the position since 2021.

Born in New Delhi to an Indian father and an American mother, Kapur previously served as a professor in the Department of National Security Affairs at the US Naval Postgraduate School. He is also a visiting fellow at Stanford University's Hoover Institution.

Between 2020 and 2021, he was a member of the State Department’s Policy Planning Staff, focusing on South and Central Asia, the Indo-Pacific strategy, and US-India relations.

Kapur has written extensively on international security issues in South Asia and the Indo-Pacific, including topics like nuclear proliferation, deterrence, and Islamist militancy.

In his book Jihad as Grand Strategy: Islamist Militancy, National Security, and the Pakistani State, he contended that Pakistan’s use of jihad is not merely a product of instability but a deliberate strategic choice by the government.

He completed his undergraduate studies at Amherst College and earned his PhD from the University of Chicago.