M.S. Rajan

Mannaraswamighala Sreeranga Rajan (1920 17 February 2010) was an Indian academic who is widely acknowledged as the doyen of International Relations and Area Studies in India. Professor Rajan set up the Indian School of International Studies along with Pandit Hriday Nath Kunzru and Professor A. Appadorai in 1955.

Early life and education Born near Madanapalle on the Andhra-Karnataka border in 1920, his early schooling was in Karnataka and he went on to complete his post-graduation from the University of Mysore in 1943. He received a Fulbright Scholarship in 1956 and enrolled at Columbia University, New York. Even though he enrolled for a PhD under the guidance of Leland M. Goodrich, he could not complete it since he was called back to India to oversee the construction of Sapru House, the headquarters of the Indian Council of World Affairs, in 1952.

Personal life

Rajan was married to Padma for more than 50 years. He is survived by three children, Pushpa Rangan, Vani Subramaniam and Kanna Rajan.

Career

Indian Council of World Affairs Rajan came to Delhi in July 1947 when he was 27 years old, and joined the Asian Relations Organisation as Assistant Secretary. He played a key role in organising the Asian Relations Conference in 1947. He joined the Indian Council of World Affairs in 1949 as its Administrative Secretary. However, he was unable to prevent the bifurcation of the Sapru House Library based on ownership of books, journals and documents. He remained Director of the School until 1971 and continued as Professor of International Organisation until 1984.

Academic accomplishments Prof. Rajan was prolific in his academic pursuits, with over 25 authored/edited books and over 110 articles in reputed journals. He was, at various times, the editor of International Studies, India Quarterly and a journal that he brought out in the 1980s, The Non-Aligned World. His focus areas were India's foreign policy, non-alignment and the role of international organisations, particularly the United Nations. In addition, he initiated the process that ensures every Indian Foreign Service officer passes through a rigorous course at JNU to broaden their perspective in foreign affairs.

Books