Education Secretary Cremated with Full State Honors
Patna: Sept. 7, 2007
 Madan Mohan Jha, Education Secretary and the chief secretary of the Human Resources department, who died on early Friday morning, was cremated with full state honors at Konhara Ghat near Hajipur late Friday evening with his son Saket Saurav performing the last rites of his father.
Jha, 53, died of heart complications caused by flu and chest pneumonia at the Indira Gandhi Institute of Cardiology (IGIC) in Patna, it was learnt.
 As reported, Jha, who had been suffering from flu for the past couple of days, complained of chest problem on late Thursday night. He was rushed to the IGIC where he, despite round the clock care, died at around 4:30 on Friday morning.
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi, Education Minister Brishan Patel, along with a large number of his Cabinet members, after hearing the news of Jha's death, arrived at his residence on Harding Road and tried to console the wife of the Education Secretary and other grieving family members.
All the schools and colleges and government offices were closed in honor of Jha, a 1977 batch IAS officer, who as recent as last Wednesday, was seen celebrating Teachers' Day at Sri Krishna Memorial Hall in Patna with the Chief Minister and other top officials.
 At the Konhara Ghat, the Chief Minister, the Education Minister, Water Resources Minister Ramashray Prasad Singh, Urban Development Minister Ashwini Kumar Choubey, state Chief Secretary A. K. Chowdhary, Home Secretary Afzal Amanullah, Bihar Religious Committee president Kishore Kunal, a number of legislators and top administrators paid their homage to the departed soul saying his death would create a huge void that would be very hard to fill.
By some accounts, Jha becomes the first IAS officer ever to be cremated under full state honors.
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