A Visionary and Institution Builder

With the demise of R H Patil, I ndia has lost one of its most precious possessions in the world of finance. He was one of my most respected and trusted gurus. I learnt a lot from him of the theory, practice and reality of money and finance.

In my understanding, his knowledge and wisdom were unparallelled and matched only by his integrity. I sought his advice and guidance whenever I faced complex tasks or diffi cult challenges, both in the conduct of policy and in terms of my relations with other institutions and agencies. He was always liberal with his time and attention. He was, on my request, willing to even prepare notes for my benefit and understanding if there were too many complications. He was a rare combination of a rationalist and a nationalist with a global consciousness.