Braj Kumar Nehru Biography 
Braj Kumar Nehru was a civil servant and an Indian diplomat who served as the Ambassador of India to the US during the period 1961-1968. He also served as the Ambassador to Britain. He is the son of a civil servant Brij Lal Nehru, nephew of Motilal Nehru. Thus he was a member of Nehru family. His mother Rameshwari Nehru was a very prominent social worker of India, a journalist and a recipient of Padma Bhushan by Government of India and Lenin Peace Prize. A great diplomat known for administrative skills, he nearly became the second secretary-general of the United Nations. But he declined the U.N. leadership post that went to Dag Hammarskjold of Sweden in 1953.
He was born on 4 September 1909 in Allahabad, British India. Born into a family of intellectuals and social workers, Braj too developed those stints at a younger age. India’s first Prime Minister and great freedom fighter Jawaharlal Nehru was his uncle. Thus he was the cousin to Indira Gandhi. His higher studies were completed at London School of Economics and at Oxford University. He married Magdolna Friedman, a fellow student in UK who later changed her name to Shobha Nehru after her marriage with Braj Kumar Nehru.
He joined the Indian Civil Service in 1934 and rose to prominent positions within a short period. He has served as governor of various states in the pre-independent period. After Indian Independence, this diplomat carried the role of Ambassador to UK and US. A career diplomat, he served as ambassador to the United States from 1961 to 1968 and as ambassador to Britain from 1973 to 1977. He was awarded an honorary doctorate by University of Punjab. A writer, Braj Kumar published his autobiography work titled - Nice Guys Finish Second. He passed away at Himachal Pradesh on 31 October 2001 at the age of 92.
Published: N/A
Updated: March 12, 2016
