The government on Thursday announced to rename Pravasi Bhartiya Kendra and Foreign Service Institute after former External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj as a tribute to the leader ahead of her birth anniversary. 

Swaraj, born on February 14, 1952, passed away on August 6 last year. She had served as the Foreign Minister during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's first term between 2014-19. 

Her successor, S Jaishankar on Thursday announced that the government has decided to rename Pravasi Bhartiya Kendra as Sushma Swaraj Bhawan and Foreign Service Institute as Sushma Swaraj Institute of Foreign Service. 

A fitting tribute to a great public figure who continues to inspire us, Jaishankar said. 

"We all fondly remember Smt Sushma Swaraj, who would have turned 68 tomorrow. The MEA family misses her in particular," he added. 

Jaishankar, who served as India's ambassador to the US and then the Foreign Secretary, under Swaraj, took over as the Minister of External Affairs in Modi's second term. 

Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said the renaming was a "solemn tribute to the invaluable contribution" of Swaraj to "Indian diplomacy, the cause of the Indian diaspora and the ethos of public service."

"In a solemn tribute to the invaluable contribution of former External Affairs Minister late Sushma Swaraj to Indian diplomacy, the cause of the Indian diaspora and the ethos of public service, it has been decided to rename the Pravasi Bhartiya Kendra in New Delhi as Sushma Swaraj Bhawan and Foreign Service Institute also in New Delhi, as Sushma Swaraj Institute of Foreign Service," the MEA said in a statement. 

The announcement is being made on the eve of her birth anniversary falling on February 14 in honour of the legacy and decades of public service of the former External Affairs Minister, it said. 

During her stint as the External Affairs Minister, Swaraj was known for giving a humane touch to the working of the ministry. She was known for her quick and witty responses on Twitter. She had opted out of contesting in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections citing ill health and effectively retired from active politics.