Mohammad Shafi Pandit, the first Muslim IAS officer from Kashmir, passed away on Thursday at the age of 80 after a month-long battle with cancer. He was undergoing treatment in a Delhi hospital. Pandit made history in 1969 by becoming the first Muslim from Kashmir to qualify for the civil services examinations and later served as the head of the Jammu and Kashmir Public Service Commission.
Renowned in bureaucratic circles as the chief secretary that Jammu and Kashmir never had, he was also active in civil society and philanthropic initiatives. Pandit played a significant role in implementing the Mandal Commission report as a joint secretary in the Government of India in 1992. His body will be flown to Srinagar for burial, with his family hoping to lay him to rest the same day.
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh expressed his condolences, highlighting Pandit's dedication to public causes and his role as a model for youth in the Valley.
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