Warnasena Rasaputra
Dr Warnasena Rasaputra (formerly known as Warnasena Rasaputram) (6 September 1927 – 25 June 2003) was a Sri Lankan economist and the seventh Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka.[1]
Dr Warnasena Rasaputra | |
|---|---|
| Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka | |
| In office 15 February 1979 – 18 November 1988 | |
| Preceded by | Herbert E. Tennekoon |
| Succeeded by | Neville Karunatilake |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Warnasena Rasaputram 6 September 1927 Matara, Ceylon |
| Died | 25 June 2003 (aged 75) Colombo, Sri Lanka |
| Nationality | Sri Lankan |
| Spouse(s) | Jayanthi Sriya Seeta Gopalan |
| Children | Jaliya Gajaba |
| Alma mater | St. Servatius' College Ananda College University of Ceylon University of Wisconsin |
| Profession | Economist |
Biography
Warnasena Rasaputram was born on 6 September 1927 in the village of Yatiyana,[1] near Matara, Sri Lanka, the son of Don Nicholas and Jane née Ratnayake. He was educated at St. Servatius' College, Matara and Ananda College, Colombo.[2]
After graduating from the University of Ceylon with a degree in economics with honours, specialising in statistics,[3] Rasaputra joined the Central Bank of Sri Lanka in 1951. In the late 1950s, he was successful in obtaining a Smith-Mundt Scholarship offered by the Institute of International Education and the United States Educational Foundation, and subsequently a Fulbright grant.[3] He attended the University of Wisconsin, where in 1957 he obtained a master's degree in statistics and then doctor of philosophy in economics in 1959.[3] He returned to the Central Bank and in 1968 was appointed director of economic research. In 1974 Rasaputram was appointed assistant to the governor and then deputy governor in 1975.
On 15 February 1979, Rasaputram became the seventh governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, a position that he held for almost nine years.[4] He assisted in guiding the country from a closed economy to an open market orientation.[1] He also promoted the decentralisation of the Central Bank, setting up regional branches in Matara, Anuradhapura and Matale, and was also instrumental in establishing the Regional Development Banks. It was during his tenure that he changed his name to Rasaputra.[5]
In November 1988 he resigned from his post as governor and was appointed as the Sri Lankan ambassador to France. He subsequently served as Sri Lanka high commissioner to Malaysia and the permanent representative to the UN offices in Geneva and Vienna and also ambassador to the Vatican. His last posting was as ambassador to the United States. He resigned from this position in 2001 due to serious heart condition.[1]
Personal life
Rasaputra married Jayanthi Sriya, with whom he had one child, Jaliya Gajaba. Following Jayanthi's death he remarried Seetha Gopalan on 28 October 1977.
References
- Rajaratnam, R. (6 July 2003). "Dr. Warnasena Rasaputra in memoriam". The Island. Retrieved 21 December 2016.
- "Ananda College Old Boys Association". Ananda College. Retrieved 23 December 2016.
- "Dr. Warnasena Rasaputram - An appreciation". Sunday Island. 6 July 2003. Retrieved 23 December 2016.
- "Dr. W Rasaputram (1979 – 1988)". Central Bank of Sri Lanka. Retrieved 20 December 2021.
- Jatasuriya, Ranga (23 February 2015). "Two Ways to Stop Rajapaksa". Sri Lanka Brief. Retrieved 23 December 2016.
