New Delhi, Feb 2 (IANS) Former cabinet secretary and Indian ambassador to the US Pratap Kishan Kaul was cremated here Friday. He was 77.
Scores of diplomats and bureaucrats, including former ambassador to the US K.S. Bajpai and former Reserve Bank of India governor Bimal Jalan, were at the Lodi Road crematorium here.
Kaul passed away Wednesday evening after a long illness. He is survived by his wife and three daughters.
A 1951 batch IAS officer, Kaul had the unique distinction of serving as commerce secretary, defence secretary and finance secretary before taking over as cabinet secretary in his 38-year-long career.
He also served as India's ambassador to the US for three years between 1986 and 1989.
A postgraduate in Economics from Allahabad University, Kaul later obtained masters in public administration from Harvard University.
Following his retirement, Kaul advised several industrial and financial firms on matters relating to corporate planning. In 2005, the government made him head of a high-powered committee to review the functioning of Central Government Health Service (CGHS) and make it more user friendly. He recommended that that the CGHS create specialist posts for augmenting the existing services.