Meet Ranjit ‘Ricky’ Gill, Indian-origin Trump adviser, awarded for India-Pakistan ‘ceasefire role’

Earlier this week, Ranjit ‘Ricky’ Singh Gill was given the US National Security Council’s Distinguished Action Award by Marco Rubio. 

The US Secretary of State also heaped praise on Gill, who serves as the National Security Council’s (NSC) senior director for South and Central Asia and is a special assistant to US President Donald Trump. 

The development has shone a spotlight on the 37-year-old Gill and what exactly he did to merit such an award. India, of course, has repeatedly rejected the US administration’s and Trump’s claims to have mediated the truce with Pakistan. 

But who is Gill? What do we know about him? 

About Ranjit ‘Ricky’ Gill? 

Gill was born into a Punjabi Sikh family in Lodi, New Jersey. His parents, Jasbir and Param Gill, are physicians. The 37-year-old was among three Indian-Americans appointed by President Trump to key advisory roles in his second term, according to  India Today. 

According to his LinkedIn profile, Gill completed his bachelor’s degree from Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs and a law degree from UC Berkeley. Gill is a lawyer and an expert in foreign affairs. 

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According to Gill’s LinkedIn profile, he served as director for Russia and European Energy Security at the NSC during Trump’s first term. He also served as a senior adviser at the US State Department’s Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations. Gill was also responsible for overseeing the sensitive relocation of the US Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem in 2018, as per  India Today. 

Gill made headlines when he entered public service at 17 as the sole student member of the California State Board of Education under then-Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. 

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From December 2022 to January 2025, in addition to government work, Gill served as a policy adviser for TC Energy, which owns the Keystone XL pipeline. Several media reports suggest that he visited India in August 2025 to discuss the long-delayed India–Middle East–Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) amid tariff tensions. 

Gill also worked as a policy consultant for the Educational Testing Service in Princeton. He contributed as a legal counsellor for the Oakland Athletics in 2010, according to  NDTV. At the age of 24, Gill also tried his luck in politics as he ran as a Republican candidate for California’s House of Representatives in 2012.

However, he lost the closely contested race to Democrat Jerry McNerney. An associate professor of political science, Thomas Holyoke, called Gill “some kind of wunderkind."  

Gill’s award sparks criticism in India 

The move has drawn criticism in India, with many experts questioning why the US is bestowing this honour on Gill. 

Taking to X, former Indian foreign secretary Kanwal Sibal said, “Puzzling. Apparently, the State Dept hasn’t announced this so far. Is this taking away credit from Trump, who has now said over 50 times that he coerced a ceasefire with trade threats?” 

He added, “Now, it is a middle-level officer in the NSC who could knock together the Indian and Pakistani heads. Can’t see any purpose being served except to irritate India in propagating such a fictitious claim when India has denied any US role in the ceasefire even at Trump’s level.” 

A retired civil servant and geopolitical commentator, NN Ojha, wrote on X, “Is it US declaration to supersede Modi govt’s claim that there was no third-country intervention for ceasefire?” 

“Washington is now handing out medals for meddling… Pure American chest-thumping and spin on our security,” another user posted. 

Trump repeatedly claims credit 

President Donald Trump has, since May 10, repeatedly claimed that Washington brokered a “full and immediate” ceasefire between India and Pakistan. While speaking at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in September, the Republican took credit for ending the conflict between New Delhi and Islamabad. 

Recently, he was caught on a hot mic during a conversation with Israel’s Netanyahu at Mar-a-Lago, where he vented about being denied the Nobel Peace Prize and again claimed credit for easing tensions between India and Pakistan. 

Trump made a similar claim last week, saying, “We stopped a potential nuclear war between Pakistan and India. And the head of Pakistan, a highly respected General — he’s a Field Marshal and also the Prime Minister of Pakistan — said President Trump saved 10 million lives, maybe more…” 

India’s position remains consistent 

New Delhi has consistently denied any third-party mediation during the India-Pakistan conflict in May. The ruling government maintained that both sides sealed the peace deal after Pakistan’s Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) reached out to his Indian counterpart regarding the conflict. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the issue in Parliament after Trump’s repeated claims, saying that no world leader had asked India to halt Operation Sindoor. 

With inputs from agencies