Mehta, Jagat S.

Jagat Singh Mehta (17 July 1922 – 6 March 2014) was a civil servant, diplomat, academician, and author who served as India's Foreign Secretary from 1976 to 1979. His career in the Indian Foreign Services (IFS) spanned from 1947 to 1980 during which he played a pivotal role in shaping India's foreign policy. Prior to his appointment as the Foreign Secretary, he served in various capacities, both in India and abroad, and worked closely with Prime Minister Jawahar Lal Nehru, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, and Morarji Desai. His diplomatic assignments included postings in Berne, London, Bonn, Peking, and Dar-es-Salaam. He occupied positions such as Charge d'affaires in China between 1963 and 1966, High Commissioner to Tanzania between 1970 and 1974, and Additional Secretary of the IFS between 1972 and 1976, Mehta's diplomatic contributions earned him widespread recognition, including prestigious honors such as the Padma Bhushan in 2002. Beyond his diplomatic career, he played a pivotal role in resurrecting and leading Vidya Bhawan, driven by his commitment and his father's vision of bridging the gap between the rich and the poor by providing civic-minded education to all. He sought to extend the lessons of diplomacy into education, fostering democratic values and egalitarian principles among young students while ensuring access to high-quality education for all. Mehta died at the age of 91 in Udaipur due to age-related health issues.