Karan Singh
Karan Singh PMSP (born 9 March 1931) is an Indian politician and philosopher. He is the Titular Maharaja of the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir. From 1952 to 1965 he was the Sadr-i-Riyasat (President) of the state of Jammu and Kashmir . He is the chairperson trustee of the Dharmarth Trust of Jammu and Kashmir which maintains 175 temples in north India and works in other areas such as historical preservation.
Karan Singh | |
|---|---|
Singh in 2013 | |
| 1st Governor of Jammu and Kashmir | |
| In office 30 March 1965 – 15 May 1967 | |
| Preceded by | Position established Himself as Sadr-i-Riyasat |
| Succeeded by | Bhagwan Sahay |
| Sadr-i-Riyasat of Jammu and Kashmir | |
| In office 17 November 1952 – 30 March 1965 | |
| Prime Minister | Sheikh Abdullah Bakshi Ghulam Mohammad Khwaja Shamsuddin Ghulam Mohammed Sadiq |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Position abolished Himself as Governor |
| Prince Regent of Jammu and Kashmir | |
| In office 20 June 1949 – 17 November 1952 | |
| Monarch | Sir Hari Singh |
| Ambassador of India to the United States of America | |
| In office 1989–1990 | |
| Preceded by | P. K. Kaul |
| Succeeded by | Abid Hussain |
| Minister of Education and Culture | |
| In office 30 July 1979 – 14 January 1980 | |
| Prime Minister | Charan Singh |
| Preceded by | Pratap Chandra Chunder |
| Succeeded by | B. Shankaranand |
| Minister for Health and Family Planning | |
| In office 9 November 1973 – 24 March 1977 | |
| Prime Minister | Indira Gandhi |
| Preceded by | Uma Shankar Dikshit |
| Succeeded by | Raj Narain |
| Minister of Tourism and Civil Aviation | |
| In office 13 March 1967 – 9 November 1973 | |
| Prime Minister | Indira Gandhi |
| Preceded by | Ministry established |
| Succeeded by | R. Bahadur |
| Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha | |
| In office 28 January 2000 – 27 January 2018 | |
| Succeeded by | Sanjay Singh |
| Constituency | National Capital Territory of Delhi |
| Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha | |
| In office 1971–1984 | |
| Preceded by | G. S. Brigadier |
| Succeeded by | Girdhari Lal Dogra |
| Constituency | Udhampur |
| In office 1967–1968 | |
| Preceded by | Constituency established |
| Succeeded by | G. S. Brigadier |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 9 March 1931 Cannes, France |
| Political party | Indian National Congress (1947 - 1979, 2000 - Present) |
| Other political affiliations | Indian National Congress (U) (1979 - 1984) Independent (1984) |
| Spouse | Yasho Rajya Lakshmi |
| Relations | Dogra dynasty Chitrangada Singh (daughter-in-law) Bhim Singh (kinsman) Dhian Singh (ancestral Kinsman) |
| Children | Ajatshatru Singh, Vikramaditya Singh, Jyotsna Singh |
| Parent(s) | Maharaja Sir Hari Singh Maharani Tara Devi |
| Residence(s) | Mansarovar 3, Nyaya Marg, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi, |
| Alma mater | University of Kashmir (B.A.) University of Delhi (M.A., PhD) |
| Awards | Padma Vibhushan Memorial Medal of Tree of Peace |
| Signature | |
| Website | karansingh.com |
Singh was a member of India's Upper House of Parliament, the Rajya Sabha, representing the national capital territory of Delhi. He is a senior member of the Indian National Congress party who served successively as President (Sadr-i-Riyasat) and Governor of the former state of Jammu and Kashmir. He was a life trustee and president of India International Center. He was elected chancellor of Banaras Hindu University for three terms until 2018 when he was succeeded by Giridhar Malaviya. He has been a prospective presidential candidate over the years.