Abid Hussain, former Indian ambassador to US, passes away

Former Indian ambassador to US, Abid Hussain passed away. He was among those few Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers who served the Indian Foreign Service despite not being the member of the prestigious service. During his career as an IAS, Hussain served on various positions such as the Secretary of Ministry of Heavy Industries, Commerce Secretary and Chairman IIFT. In 1985, he was appointed the Member of Planning Commission of India. B/w 1990 and 1992, he served as Ambassador to the US.

In 1988, Govt of India conferred on him the 3^rd highest civilian honor, Padma Bhushan

He administered several significant assignments. Some of his noteworthy assignments include:

• Member of International Panel on Democracy & Development of UNESCO
• Special Rapporteur to UN on Freedom of Opinion and Expression
• Member of the Constitution Review Commission of India
• Member of the Prasar Bharati Board
• Member of the Council on Foreign Relations, New York
• U.N Adviser on Turkey on Community Development