Romesh Bhandari

{{Short description|Indian diplomat and administrator (1928–2013)}} {{COI|date=September 2024}} {{Use dmy dates|date=May 2018}} {{Use Indian English|date=May 2018}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Romesh Bhandari | image = [[File:Romesh Bhandari.jpg|200px]] | alt = | caption = | office = 13th [[Foreign Secretary of India]] | term_start = 1 February 1985 | term_end = 31 March 1986 | prime_minister = [[Rajiv Gandhi]] | minister = [[Rajiv Gandhi]]<br>[[Bali Ram Bhagat]] | predecessor = [[Maharaja Krishna Rasgotra|M. K. Rasgotra]] | successor = [[A. P. Venkateswaran]]  | order2 = Eleventh | office2 = List of lieutenant governors of Delhi {{!}}Lieutenant Governor of Delhi | term_start2 = 4 August 1988 | term_end2 = December 1989 | predecessor2 = [[H. L. Kapur|Harkishan Lal Kapoor]] | successor2 = [[Arjan Singh]]  | order3 = Third | office3 = List of lieutenant governors of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands{{!}}Lieutenant Governor of Andaman and Nicobar Islands | term_start3 = December 1989 | term_end3 = 24 February 1990 | predecessor3 = [[Tirath Singh Oberoi]] | successor3 = [[Ranjit Singh Dayal]]  | order4 = Seventh | office4 = List of Governors of Tripura{{!}}Governor of Tripura | term_start4 = 15 August 1993 | term_end4 = 15 June 1995 | predecessor4 = [[K. V. Raghunatha Reddy]] | successor4 = [[Siddheshwar Prasad|Prof. Siddheswar Prasad]]  | order5 = Sixth | office5 = List of Governors of Goa{{!}}Governor of Goa | term_start5 = 16 June 1995 | term_end5 = 18 July 1996 | predecessor5 = [[Gopala Ramanujam]] | successor5 = [[P.C. Alexander]]  | order6 = 14th | office6 = List of Governors of Uttar Pradesh{{!}}Governor of Uttar Pradesh | term_start6 = 19 July 1996 | term_end6 = 17 March 1998 | predecessor6 = [[Mohammad Shafi Qureshi]] | successor6 = [[Mohammad Shafi Qureshi]]  | birth_date = {{birth date|1928|3|29|df=y}} | birth_place = [[Lahore]], [[Punjab Province (British India)|Punjab]], [[British India]]<br/> (now in [[Punjab, Pakistan]]) | death_date = {{death date and age|2013|9|7|1928|3|29|df=y}} | death_place = [[New Delhi]], [[India]] | resting_place = | resting_place_coordinates = | birth_name = | party = | other_party =  | spouse = Kumudesh Bhandari | partner =  | relations = | children = 2 | alma_mater = | occupation = | profession = [[Diplomat]]<br/>[[Public administration|Administrator]] | cabinet = | committees = | portfolio = | signature = | signature_alt = | footnotes = | blank1 = | data1 = | blank2 = | data2 = | blank3 = | data3 = | blank4 = | data4 = | blank5 = | data5 = | parents = Amar Nath Bhandari (father)<br /> Padma Bhandari (mother) }}

'''Romesh Bhandari''' (29 March 1928 – 7 September 2013) was an Indian diplomat and administrator. Bhandari, during his career, served in various positions, including as the [[Foreign Secretary (India)|Foreign Secretary]], [[Governor (India)|Lieutenant Governor]] of [[List of lieutenant governors of Delhi|Delhi]] and the [[List of lieutenant governors of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands|Andaman and Nicobar Islands]], and [[Governor (India)|Governor]] of [[List of governors of Tripura|Tripura]], [[List of governors of Goa|Goa]] and [[List of governors of Uttar Pradesh|Uttar Pradesh]].<ref name="about">{{Cite web |title=Shri Romesh Bhandari |url=https://upgovernor.gov.in/en/post/shri-romesh-bhandari?brd=1 |access-date=2024-06-21 |website=Raj Bhavan, Uttar Pradesh |archive-date=27 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201127112841/http://upgovernor.gov.in/en/post/shri-romesh-bhandari?brd=1 |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Early life== Romesh Bhandari was born in [[Lahore]], [[Punjab Province (British India)|Punjab Province]], [[Presidencies and provinces of British India|British India]] (present day [[Pakistan]]) on 29 March 1928. He was the son of Amar Nath Bhandari, a [[Punjab and Haryana High Court|Punjab High Court]] [[Judge]] who was part of the [[Division bench|bench]] which decided the [[Mahatma Gandhi]] [[Assassination of Mahatma Gandhi|Assassination case]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Mahapatra |first=Dhananjay |date=2019-05-20 |title=How to exorcise the ghost of Nathuram Godse, which pops up every now and then? |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/how-to-exorcise-the-ghost-of-nathuram-godse-which-pops-up-every-now-and-then/articleshow/69404592.cms |access-date=2024-03-05 |work=The Times of India |issn=0971-8257 |archive-date=7 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201107232736/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/how-to-exorcise-the-ghost-of-nathuram-godse-which-pops-up-every-now-and-then/articleshow/69404592.cms |url-status=live }}</ref> Amar Nath later became the Chief Justice of the Punjab High Court.<ref name="about" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=Hon'ble Former Chief Justices |url=https://highcourtchd.gov.in/?mod=former_cj |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241212081145/https://www.highcourtchd.gov.in/?mod=former_cj |archive-date=12 December 2024 |access-date=28 April 2025 |website=High Court of Punjab and Haryana, Chandigarh |url-status=live }}</ref> His mother was Padma Bhandari and he had two siblings.<ref>{{Cite web |date=17 April 2008 |title=Romesh Bhandari's mother passes away |url=https://www.oneindia.com/2008/04/17/romesh-bhandaris-mother-passes-away-1208419401.html |access-date=24 July 2024 |website=Oneindia}}</ref>

== Career == He joined the [[Indian Foreign Service]] (IFS) in 1950 as the Vice-Consul at the [[consulate]] in New York.<ref>{{Cite web |last=PTI |date=8 September 2013 |title=Former UP governor Romesh Bhandari dies |url=https://www.livemint.com/Politics/DQGx4T4L1e6GyAYQMc5b6L/Former-UP-governor-Romesh-Bhandari-passes-away.html |access-date=20 June 2024 |website=Mint |archive-date=20 June 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240620061901/https://www.livemint.com/Politics/DQGx4T4L1e6GyAYQMc5b6L/Former-UP-governor-Romesh-Bhandari-passes-away.html |url-status=live }}</ref> He was minister in the Indian Embassy at Moscow from 1970 to 1971. He was the Indian ambassador to [[Thailand]], Permanent Representative to [[United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific|UN Economic Commission for Asia and the Far East]] from 1971 to 1974 and the Indian ambassador to [[Iraq]] from 1974 to 1976.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last= |date=9 September 2013 |title=Former UP guv Romesh Bhandari dead |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/delhi/former-up-guv-romesh-bhandari-dead/story-WECuM3clPGMuEoce5PRm3I.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230123105244/https://www.hindustantimes.com/delhi/former-up-guv-romesh-bhandari-dead/story-WECuM3clPGMuEoce5PRm3I.html |archive-date=23 January 2023 |access-date=20 June 2024 |website=Hindustan Times}}</ref> He then returned to the [[Ministry of External Affairs (India)|Ministry of External Affairs]] as Additional Secretary from February 1977 to July 1979. He was promoted as Secretary on 1 August 1979 and was appointed [[Foreign Secretary (India)|Foreign Secretary]] on 1 February 1985.<ref name=":0" /> He retired from service on 31 March 1986.<ref name=about/> In 1984, Bhandari brought back to India the [[Extradition|extradited]] hijackers of the [[Indian Airlines Flight 421]] from Dubai in 1984.<ref name="about" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Magan |first=Srishti |date=2021-09-18 |title=Everything To Know About The Real-Life Hijacking That Inspired Akshay Kumar's 'Bell Bottom' |url=https://www.scoopwhoop.com/entertainment/everything-to-know-about-the-real-life-hijacking-that-inspired-akshay-kumar-s-bell-bottom/ |access-date=2024-03-10 |website=ScoopWhoop |language=en |archive-date=6 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231206005845/https://www.scoopwhoop.com/entertainment/everything-to-know-about-the-real-life-hijacking-that-inspired-akshay-kumar-s-bell-bottom/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

He was the [[List of lieutenant governors of Delhi|Lieutenant Governor of Delhi]] from 4 August 1988 to December 1989 and of the [[Andaman and Nicobar Islands|Andaman and Nicobar islands]] from December 1989 to 24 February 1990.<ref name="state">{{cite web|title=Indian states since 1947|url=http://www.worldstatesmen.org/India_states.html|website=worldstatesmen.org|accessdate=9 July 2011|archive-date=18 June 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080618002451/http://www.worldstatesmen.org/India_states.html|url-status=live}}</ref> He was the [[List of governors of Tripura|Governor of Tripura]] from 15 August 1993 to 15 June 1995, [[List of governors of Goa|Governor of Goa]] from 16 June 1995 to 18 July 1996 and [[List of governors of Uttar Pradesh|Governor of Uttar Pradesh]] from 19 July 1996 to 17 March 1998.<ref name="about" /><ref name="state" /><ref name="goa">{{cite web|title=Governors of Goa since Liberation|url=http://www.rajbhavangoa.org/pastgovernors_postliberation.htm|website=rajbhavangoa.org|accessdate=9 July 2011|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120326193954/http://www.rajbhavangoa.org/pastgovernors_postliberation.htm|archivedate=26 March 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="trip">{{cite web|title=Tripura - Governors|url=http://tripura.nic.in/icm.htm|website=tripura.nic.in|accessdate=9 July 2011|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110709081847/http://tripura.nic.in/icm.htm|archivedate=9 July 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="up">{{cite web|title=Governors of Uttar Pradesh|url=http://www.upgov.nic.in/upinfo/governers.html|website=upgov.nic.in|accessdate=9 July 2011|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110715193502/http://www.upgov.nic.in/upinfo/governers.html|archivedate=15 July 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref> During his tenure as Governor of Uttar Pradesh, Bhandari's recommendation to dismiss the [[Kalyan Singh]]-led [[Bharatiya Janata Party]] (BJP) government in the state in 1997 led to a significant crisis for the central government, which ultimately had to reinstate the BJP's state government.<ref name=":0" />

== Personal life and family == Bhandari was married to Kumudesh Bhandari, daughter of [[Maharaja]] [[Bhupinder Singh of Patiala|Bhupinder Singh]] of [[Patiala State|Patiala]].<ref name="about" /> He and Kumudesh had two children, one son and one daughter.<ref name="about" /> Through his wife, Kumudesh, Bhandari's brother-in-law was the businessman [[Vipin Khanna]].<ref name=":38">{{Cite web |date=1987 |title=The Illustrated Weekly Of India Vol.108, No.26-49(july-dec)1987 |url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.110088 |access-date=20 June 2024 |website=Internet Archive |page=92}}</ref> Bhandari died on the night of 7 September 2013 after a prolonged illness.<ref>{{cite web |author=PTI |date=1928-03-29 |title=Former UP governor Romesh Bhandari passes away |url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Former-UP-governor-Romesh-Bhandari-passes-away/articleshow/22411828.cms |accessdate=2013-09-11 |publisher=Times of India |archive-date=24 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220324135446/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Former-UP-governor-Romesh-Bhandari-passes-away/articleshow/22411828.cms |url-status=live }}</ref>

==References== {{reflist}}

{{s-start}} {{s-dip}} {{s-bef|before=[[Maharaja Krishna Rasgotra]]}} {{s-ttl|title=[[Foreign Secretary of India]]|years=1985 - 1986}} {{s-aft|after=[[A. P. Venkateswaran]]}} {{s-end}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bhandari, Romesh}} [[Category:Foreign secretaries of India]] [[Category:People from Lahore]] [[Category:1928 births]] [[Category:2013 deaths]] [[Category:Governors of Tripura]] [[Category:Governors of Goa]] [[Category:Governors of Uttar Pradesh]] [[Category:Lieutenant governors of Delhi]] [[Category:Lieutenant governors of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands]] [[Category:Ambassadors of India to Iraq]] [[Category:Ambassadors of India to Thailand]] [[Category:Indian Foreign Service officers]]