Ishwari Prasad Gupta

Ishwari Prasad Gupta (born 5 February 1931, Arrah) is a 1958 batch IAS. He had been the Joint Secretary to the Government of India, Ministry of Home Affairs, Chief Secretary to the Government of Tripura and Lt Governor of Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

Gupta has also been writing on political and diplomatic issues from time to time in the newspapers. At present he is living with his spouse and younger son, Vinod Gupta, in New Delhi.

Ishwari Prasad Gupta was born to Bishwa Nath Gupta and Janki Devi on 5 February 1931 in Bihar. He was a meritorious student since childhood who passed every class securing first division up to postgraduate standard. He took M.Sc. degree in Mathematics with a Gold medal in 1951 at the age of 20 from the erstwhile Patna Science College, which is now known as Patna University. He also did LL.B. from Delhi University in 1996 after retirement from Indian Administrative Service. He was inspired by the Karmayoga doctrines of Swami Vivekanand throughout his entire life.

Gupta joined IAS in 1958 under Manipur - Tripura cadre. He served as Secretary, Deputy Commissioner in the Government of Arunachal Pradesh. From 1969 to 1972 he was the Chief Secretary to the Government of Tripura. Later he was assigned as Director/Deputy Secretary to the Government of India, Ministry of Home Affairs from 1972 to 1975.

From 1975 to 1976 he remained Hill Commissioner of Manipur. Then he was posted as Chief Secretary to the Government of Arunachal Pradesh in 1976 where he served up to 1981.

From 1981 to 1984 he was assigned the post of Joint Secretary to the Government of India, Ministry of Home Affairs. Looking into his previous performances he was again sent to Tripura to serve as Chief Secretary.

He was Additional Secretary to the Government of India, Ministry of Home affairs from December 1985 to March 1988. Again he was assigned the post of Chief Secretary to Tripura Government.

Later he was Advisor to the Governor of Assam from November 1990 to June 1991. He was made the Member, Central Administrative Tribunal, Principal Bench, New Delhi from June 1991 to February 1993.

From October 1994 to February 1996 he remained the state election commissioner for Union territories of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshdweep, Daman and Diu and Dadra and Nagar Haveli.

His last assignment as a diplomat was the Lieutenant governor of Andaman and Nicobar Islands from 23 December 1996 to 25 May 2001.

Prime Minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina honored him recently on 27 March 2012 at Dhaka. She expressed her sincere gratitude and respect to all the foreign friends of Bangladesh who were honored this day along with Gupta, for their invaluable contributions in the Liberation War of Bangladesh as well as for their unflinching support.

Some of his published articles in English language are:

• Article 371A: Implications
• Humane Touch
• TNV Accord - an assessment
• Evolution of N-E States
• Repatriating the Chakmas