L. K. Jha

Lakshmi Kant Jha brought an economist's training and a long administrative career to the Washington embassy. After studying at Banaras Hindu University and Trinity College, Cambridge, he entered the Indian Civil Service in 1936. He worked first in Bihar and then, from 1942, in the central government, eventually becoming secretary to the prime minister. ¹

Jha governed the Reserve Bank of India from July 1967 to May 1970. His tenure coincided with acute concerns over food supply and the expansion of agricultural production associated with the Green Revolution. A later Reserve Bank commemoration described the bank's involvement under Jha in policies intended to address scarcity and poverty. ¹

As ambassador, Jha argued India's case during the crisis that led to Bangladesh's independence. At lunch with Henry Kissinger on June 11, 1971, he described the pressure created by millions of refugees from East Pakistan and warned that continued arrivals threatened India's internal stability. According to Kissinger's memorandum, Jha urged a political solution and suggested suspending economic assistance to Pakistan. Kissinger warned against Indian military intervention but offered a confidential channel between the two governments and a review of refugee aid. ²

Jha's later public service included the governorship of Jammu and Kashmir and membership of the Brandt Commission, which examined relations between industrialized and developing countries. The Reserve Bank established a memorial lecture series in his name, bringing international economists to discuss issues of finance and development. ¹