Career
He served as India"s ambassador to Nepal. Prasad was professor of history at University of Patna, Patna and then South Asian Studies at Jawaharlal Nehru University. He served as Dean, School of International Studies.
He is known for his postcolonial analysis of the Indian independence movement, particularly his work on the burgeoning foreign policy of the Indian National Congress, and for his work on communal relations during the British Raj.
He has written several analyses of Foreign Affairs in the South Asian region. In addition to an impressive array of books, he has contributed to many journals and volumes on modern Indian history
Prasad has had a long interest in the origins and ramifications of India"s foreign policy, and his work on pre-independence foreign policy was a classic of postcolonial history.
He is known as an expert on relations within South Asia, and has had personal connections with many leaders from the region. After retirement, he was appointed ambassador to Nepal by prime minister Chandrashekhar (1991–1995).
In this position, he was discomfited by the intense public gaze on the Indian ambassador:
I was a simple professor
But the way they talked about me made me feel that I had become very important in my life. During his tenure, he worked with Indian prime ministers P V Narasimha Rao and his Nepali counterpart Girija Prasad Koirala to enhance India"s aid to Nepal. The Boite Postale Koirala Nepal India Foundation was also set up in this period.
Foreign some time he also served as director, Gandhian Institute, Varanasi.
He was the honorary director of the Rajendra Prasad Academy, and a fellow with the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library in New Delhi. He was also the chairman of the Rajendra Bhawan Trust.
In addition, he was chairman of the National Gandhi Museum and President of the Indian council for South Asian co-operation. He has been awarded national fellowship by the Indian Council for Social Science Research.
