Katyayani Shankar Bajpai

Katyayani Shankar Bajpai (30 March 1928 – 30 August 2020) was an Indian diplomat. He served as the Indian envoy to Pakistan (1976–1980), China (1980–1982) and to the United States (1984–1986). These three postings are considered to be the most important for an Indian diplomat.[1][2]

Katyayani Shankar Bajpai
Ambassador of India to the United States
In office
1984–1986
Preceded byK. R. Narayanan
Ambassador of India to China
In office
1980–1982
Preceded byR. D. Sathe
Succeeded byK. P. S. Menon Jr.
High Commissioner of India to Pakistan
In office
1976–1980
Personal details
Born(1928-03-30)30 March 1928
Jaipur
Died30 August 2020(2020-08-30) (aged 92)

Early life and education

He was born on 30 March 1928 in Jaipur. His father Girija Shankar Bajpai was also a diplomat. He completed his bachelor's degree in modern history at Oxford University in 1949.[3]

Career

He joined the Indian Foreign Service in 1952,[4] and had stints in Turkey and Pakistan. He accompanied Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri for the Tashkent summit.[5]

In 1970, he was appointed the Indian political officer in Sikkim. Bajpai served in that capacity during the Indian annexation of Sikkim, and was put in charge of the administration during the transition.[6]

He served as Ambassador to Pakistan (1976–1980), China (1980–1982) and to the United States (1984–1986). He was the Indian ambassador to the United States during Rajiv Gandhi's state visit in 1985.[7]

After retiring from the IFS in 1986, he taught as a visiting professor at the University of California, Los Angeles and University of California, Berkeley.[3][5] He later became the first professor of non-Western studies at Brandeis University. In 1994, he founded Delhi Policy Group, an independent think tank. From 1995 to 2000, he worked as a Senior International Adviser at Merrill Lynch in New York.[7]

He continued to be informally consulted by the Indian government on matters relating to India-United states relations. Bajpai died in 2020 at the age of 92 after contracting COVID-19.[8] At the time of his death, he'd been working on a biography of his father.[5]

Personal life

He was married to Meera Bajpai and had two sons.[5] His interests included poetry, films, and cooking.[4][9]

References
  1. Sirur, Simrin (30 August 2020). "K Shankar Bajpai, India's former envoy to US, China and Pakistan, dies at 92". ThePrint. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
  2. "KS Bajpai, former envoy, dies at 92". The Indian Express. 31 August 2020. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
  3. Sirur, Simrin (30 August 2020). "K Shankar Bajpai, India's former envoy to US, China and Pakistan, dies at 92".
  4. Bhattacherjee, Kallol (30 August 2020). "K.S. Bajpai, former envoy to U.S., dead". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
  5. "KS Bajpai, India's ex-envoy to China, Pak and US, dies of Covid at 92". Hindustan Times. 31 August 2020. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
  6. "New Delhi Takes Over Control Of Sikkim on Request of Ruler". The New York Times. 9 April 1973. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
  7. Bajpai, Kanti (31 August 2020). "K. Shankar Bajpai was a man for many seasons". Times of India Blog. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
  8. Bagchi, Indrani (31 August 2020). "Former envoy Katyayani Shankar Bajpai dies of Covid-19 | India News – Times of India". The Times of India.
  9. "K S Bajpai, at home in the world". The Indian Express. 6 September 2020. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
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