India, Dec. 11 -- Jayasankar Krishnamurty, born on January 7, 1941, in New Delhi, to Parvati and S Jayasankar, passed away on December 5, 2025. He was an eminent academic and international civil servant who worked for decades on employment, labour and demography, with a distinguished academic career, completing his BA (Hons) in Economics from St Stephen's College, his MA from the Delhi School of Economics, and his PhD from the University of Delhi. A defining milestone was his selection as Agatha Harrison Fellow at St Antony's College, Oxford, which left a deep imprint on his intellectual journey. These academic embellishments are daunting. But for me, he was my closest friend. My friendship with him is a journey I must recount.

I came to...