UpdateBot at 17:58, 18 July 2021

2021-07-18T17:58:11Z

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{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2021}}
{{Short description|Indian diplomat}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Katyayani Shankar Bajpai
| death_date = {{death date and age|2020|08|30|1928|03|30|df=y}}
| birth_date = {{birth date|1928|03|30|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Jaipur]]
| office = [[List of ambassadors of India to the United States|Ambassador of India to the United States]]
| office2 = [[List of ambassadors of India to China|Ambassador of India to China]]
| office3 = [[List of High Commissioners of India to Pakistan|High Commissioner of India to Pakistan]]
| term = 1984–1986
| predecessor = [[K. R. Narayanan]]
| successor2 = [[K. P. S. Menon Jr.]]
| predecessor2 = [[R. D. Sathe]]
| term3 = 1976–1980
| term2 = 1980–1982
}}
'''Katyayani Shankar Bajpai''' (30 March 1928 – 30 August 2020) was an Indian diplomat. He served as the Indian envoy to [[List of High Commissioners of India to Pakistan|Pakistan]] (1976–1980), [[List of ambassadors of India to China|China]] (1980–1982) and [[List of ambassadors of India to the United States|to the United States]] (1984–1986). These three postings are considered to be the most important for an Indian diplomat.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Sirur|first=Simrin|date=30 August 2020|title=K Shankar Bajpai, India's former envoy to US, China and Pakistan, dies at 92|url=https://theprint.in/india/k-shankar-bajpai-indias-former-envoy-to-us-china-and-pakistan-dies-at-92/492272/|access-date=13 July 2021|website=ThePrint|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=31 August 2020|title=KS Bajpai, former envoy, dies at 92|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/india/ks-bajpai-former-envoy-dies-at-92-6576701/|access-date=13 July 2021|website=The Indian Express|language=en}}</ref>

== 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 [[University of Oxford|Oxford University]] in 1949.<ref name=":0" />

== Career ==
He joined the [[Indian Foreign Service]] in 1952,<ref name=":3">{{Cite news|last=Bhattacherjee|first=Kallol|date=30 August 2020|title=K.S. Bajpai, former envoy to U.S., dead|language=en-IN|work=The Hindu|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/ks-bajpai-former-envoy-to-us-dead/article32481786.ece|access-date=13 July 2021|issn=0971-751X}}</ref> and had stints in Turkey and Pakistan. He accompanied Prime Minister [[Lal Bahadur Shastri]] for the [[Tashkent Declaration|Tashkent summit]].<ref name=":1" />

In 1970, he was appointed the Indian political officer in Sikkim. Bajpai served in that capacity during the [[1975 Sikkimese monarchy referendum|Indian annexation of Sikkim]], and was put in charge of the administration during the transition.<ref>{{Cite news|date=9 April 1973|title=New Delhi Takes Over Control Of Sikkim on Request of Ruler|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1973/04/09/archives/new-denn-of-sikki-effort-to-avert-collapse-opposition-bars.html|access-date=13 July 2021|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>

He served as Ambassador to [[List of High Commissioners of India to Pakistan|Pakistan]] (1976–1980), [[List of ambassadors of India to China|China]] (1980–1982) and [[List of ambassadors of India to the United States|to the United States]] (1984–1986). He was the Indian ambassador to the United States during [[Rajiv Gandhi]]'s state visit in 1985.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|last=Bajpai|first=Kanti|date=31 August 2020|title=K. Shankar Bajpai was a man for many seasons|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/blogs/toi-edit-page/k-shankar-bajpai-a-man-for-many-seasons/|url-status=live|access-date=13 July 2021|website=Times of India Blog|language=en-US}}</ref>

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]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://theprint.in/india/k-shankar-bajpai-indias-former-envoy-to-us-china-and-pakistan-dies-at-92/492272/|title=K Shankar Bajpai, India's former envoy to US, China and Pakistan, dies at 92|first=Simrin|last=Sirur|date=30 August 2020}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web|date=31 August 2020|title=KS Bajpai, India’s ex-envoy to China, Pak and US, dies of Covid at 92|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/ks-bajpai-only-diplomat-to-serve-as-envoy-to-china-pak-and-us-dies-at-92/story-ljezfcXMvKjEGroV6NNc3L.html|access-date=13 July 2021|website=Hindustan Times|language=en}}</ref> 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 (company)|Merrill Lynch]] in New York.<ref name=":2" />

He continued to be informally consulted by the Indian government on matters relating to [[India–United States relations|India-United states relations]]. Bajpai died in 2020 at the age of 92 after contracting [[COVID-19]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Bagchi|first=Indrani|date=31 August 2020|title=Former envoy Katyayani Shankar Bajpai dies of Covid-19 | India News – Times of India|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/former-envoy-katyayani-shankar-bajpai-dies-of-covid-19/articleshow/77837700.cms|url-status=live|website=The Times of India}}</ref> At the time of his death, he'd been working on a biography of his father.<ref name=":1" />

== Personal life ==
He was married to Meera Bajpai and had two sons.<ref name=":1" /> His interests included poetry, films, and cooking.<ref name=":3" /><ref>{{Cite web|date=6 September 2020|title=K S Bajpai, at home in the world|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/k-s-bajpai-at-home-in-the-world-6585537/|access-date=13 July 2021|website=The Indian Express|language=en}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Shankar Bajpai, Katyayani}}
[[Category:Ambassadors of India to the United States]]
[[Category:Ambassadors of India to China]]
[[Category:High Commissioners of India to Pakistan]]
[[Category:2020 deaths]]
[[Category:1928 births]]
[[Category:Deaths from the COVID-19 pandemic in India]]

Katyayani Shankar Bajpai - Revision history

UpdateBot at 17:58, 18 July 2021