Abid Hussain

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article needs additional citations for verification.
Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (February 2007)

This article may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards.
Please improve this article if you can. (February 2007)

Abid Hussain
Abid Hussain
Born	Abid Hussain

This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject.

WikiProject Biography or the Biography Portal may be able to help recruit one.

If a more appropriate WikiProject or portal exists, please adjust this template accordingly.

This article or section may contain too many infoboxes.
Please improve the article by removing some.

Abid Hussain is an Indian economist who specializes in monetary policy. He was previously an ambassador to the United States from 1990 to 1992. Before that, he had held the following senior positions: the Secretary of the Department of Heavy Industries, the Secretary of the Ministry of Commerce, and a member of the Planning Commission.

Dr. Abid Hussain is currently a Member of the International Panel on Democracy and Development of UNESCO and Professor Emeritus at the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT) as well as Professor Emeritus at the Foreign Service Institute of the Ministry of External Affairs, Govt. of India. He is a member of the Academy of the Kingdom of Morocco, and B.P. Koirala Foundation, Kathmandu. He was the Trustee of Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts Trust; President of Katha, Chairman of Research Council of National Institute of Science, Technology and Development Studies (CSIR); Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Gautam Buddha Nagar (NOIDA) Kendra and several other educational and cultural organizations. He is a member of the Nehru Memorial Fund; the Population Foundation of India: Foundation for Academic Excellence & Access; Administrative Staff College, Hyderabad; Shankar Lall Murli Dhar Memorial Society; and the Governing Council of Ranbaxy Science Foundation. He has been a member of the Indian Administrative Service and served in various capacities at the Centre. He was Secretary, Ministry of Heavy Industries, Commerce Secretary, Government of India and Chairman, IIFT. He became Member, Planning Commission in 1985. Later on, he became India’s Ambassador to the United States of America. In the year 1988, he was honoured with PADMA BHUSHAN for meritorious services. Thereafter, he became Vice Chairman, Rajiv Gandhi Foundation, New Delhi, and was also the Chancellor of Central University, Hyderabad.

Dr. Hussain was for nine years Special Rapporteur to UN on Freedom of Opinion and Expression. Hussain was a member of the Constitution Review Commission set up by Government of India. He was a member of the Prasar Bharti Board till April 2001. Till recently Dr. Hussain was a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, New York. He is now the member of Asia Society, New York.

During his long standing career he was U.N. Adviser to Turkey on Community Development for two years and also Chief of Industrial , Technology, Human Settlements and Environment in the UN Regional Commission of ESCAP, Bangkok for seven years.

Dr,. Hussain has presided over several national and international Conferences and contributed papers on contemporary issues.

Dr. Hussain had chaired six important committees set up by the Government of India, namely, Trade Policy Reforms; Project Exports; CSIR Review Committee for Development of Science and Technology; Textile Policy of the Government of India; Development of Capital Market; and Abid Hussain Committee on Small Scale Industries.

In an interview, he has stated he is concerned with Internet censorship, gender issues, freedom of expression, and cultural relativism.^[1]