Within three days of taking charge, Singh ' who joined the Foreign Service at a young age of 22 ' met the officers on Saturday afternoon and was "very encouraging".

The officers usually don't get a chance to interact with the topmost diplomat in the system, sources said.

South Block insiders said it was rare for the seniormost officer in the service to "listen" to junior diplomats. In fact, she has promised a "follow-up" within a month.

Old-timers said Singh's interest in the younger lot had its origins in her stint at the prestigious Foreign Service Institute (FSI), the cradle for young diplomats. She served as joint secretary, in-charge of FSI, during 1996-97, and mentored diplomats of the 1996 batch who are about to become joint secretaries.

Singh, who will implement the new training framework for IFS, is particular about training and mentoring diplomats at every level.