The Difficulty of Being Gajendra Haldea: Reflections on His Life and Legacy

An indefatigable bureaucrat, Gajendra Haldea gave up plum postings and postretirement benefits as he doggedly worked for the public good. His contributions included drafting the Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999 (FEMA), the Electricity Act, 23, as well as innumerable model agreements for various infrastructure projects. Written by a group of civil servants, journalists and consultants, the essays of The Difficulty of Being Gajendra Haldea provide a perspective not only on his contribution across the many sectors of infrastructure, but also in functions including policy governance, procurement, Public Private Partnerships (PPPs), law, organisational design and strategy for implementing policy. The collection reveals Haldea’s admirable zeal for ensuring the success of government projects. Here is a story of everyday heroism — a bureaucrat who quietly went about with his work and made countless contributions to benefit present and future generations.