The Indian Foreign Service Association has condoled the demise of the country’s second woman career diplomat K. Rukmini Menon in Bangalore last week.
The Association, led by its president and Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao, recalled the services of Ms. Menon as a role model for all junior officers, especially women joining the service.
Ms. Menon passed away on December 23, the Association said here on Wednesday.
Born on September 6, 1922, Ms. Menon worked in the High Commission of India in London from 1949 and joined the Foreign Service in September 1951. She also held the distinction of being the first woman officer to enrol at the National Defence College.
She was the second woman officer to join the IFS, after C.B. Muthamma, and served as Ambassador to Nigeria, Italy and Denmark. She also served in Missions in Ottawa, Colombo and Canberra.
After retirement in 1980, she became a member of the Union Public Service Commission. She wrote many articles and was a regular member of the association of Indian diplomats. She was married to Raghava Menon, a distinguished musicologist.
