Former Foreign Secretary Muchkund Dubey passes away at 90

New Delhi: Former Foreign Secretary Muchkund Dubey (90), who also served as the President of the Council for Social Development and as a professor at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), passed away in Delhi on Wednesday.

The veteran diplomat, who was not keeping well for the past month due to various age-related ailments, breathed his last at the Fortis Escorts Hospital.

Born in 1933 in undivided Bihar, Dubey joined the Indian Foreign Service in 1957. In his long and illustrious diplomatic career, Dubey served as the High Commissioner to Bangladesh, and as India's Permanent Representative to the United Nations.

He also served in the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Headquarters besides being a member of the Executive Board of UNESCO.

Dubey had a Master's degree in economics from Patna University and later studied economics in Oxford and New York universities. He also earned a D.Litt from the University of Calcutta.

His research interest covered a wide range of topics related to the world economy, international trading and monetary systems, international security and disarmament, development cooperation, particularly South Asian cooperation, and social and economic development in India.

He authored, edited, and co-edited a large number of books and papers on these subjects.

After retiring from the Indian Foreign Service, Dubey joined the Jawaharlal Nehru University as a professor where he taught for around eight years.

Dubey is survived by his wife Basanti Dubey and two daughters -- Medha Dubey and Madhu Dubey.

His last rites will be performed at the Lodhi Road crematorium at 4 p.m. on Thursday.