Chandeshwar Prasad Narayan Singh
Encyclopedia
Sir Chandeshwar Prasad Narayan Singh (18 April 1901 – 1993) was India
's first ambassador to Nepal
and later an ambassador to Japan
(from 1958) and also the second Governor
of Punjab
in 1953 and then governor of Uttar Pradesh
from 1980 to 1985. A distinguished educator, an able administrator and an inspiring leadership interpreter of Indian Culture, Shri C.P.N. Singh was honoured with Padma Vibhushan
in 1977 for his meritorious services rendered to the country.
The Kurukshetra University
was the dream of the then Punjab Governor, Sir C.P.N. Singh, a great Sanskrit
scholar, who wanted to set up an institute to promote Indian culture and traditions. Pracheen Kala Kendra, an institution for arts and culture was established in Chandigarh
in the year 1956 with the active support and kind patronage of the then Honourable Governor of Punjab
Sir C.P.N. Singh. Sir Sinha was the Vice Chancellor of University of Patna
from 1 January 1945 to 20 June 1949. The Patna University Institute of Psychological Research and Service, one of the oldest psychological service centres in Eastern India was founded in 1945 at the initiative of Sir C.P.N. Sinha and the institute is located at Krishna Kunj, the building housing the institute which was donated to Patna University by late Sir Ganesh Dutt Singh, an eminent educationist of the state.
Vice Chancellor Sir Chandeshwar Prasad Narayan Singh's (Sir CPN Singh) (1945–49) contribution to develop a post-graduate course in the university was acclaimed by all. He brought teachers of eminence from all over the country to man the newly opened departments.
He was a close friend of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru.
, Bihar
. Standing First Class-First from the Calcutta University in his M.A.
, he obtained the Mallick Gold Medal in 1925. After coming to Bihar, he was elected to the then Legislative Council
in 1927. He was also elected Chairman of the District Board of Muzaffarpur, where he distinguished himself by exemplary organisation of succour for earthquake victims of the great Bihar Earthquake of 1934. This received special recognition at the hands of the different organisations of the country, including the Indian National Congress
at that time. In 1945, he became the Vice-Chancellor of the United Patna University. After Independence, he was invited by the then Prime Minister, Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru, to become the country's Ambassador to Nepal. It was during his tenure the King of Nepal sought refuge at the Indian Embassy in 1950. After completing his tenure there, he was appointed the Governor of undivided Punjab in 1953. It was under his aegis that the city of Chandigarh and the Bhakra Dam
dam were built. In 1958, he subsequently became the Ambassador to Japan. There he received the signal and unique honour of receiving a doctorate from the prestigious Ohtani University. Unable to continue in the post, due to ill-health, he was forced to come back to India
. After that he became a Director of the Reserve Bank of India
and the I.D.B.I. and the Chairman of several companies.
His son A.P.N Singh, Studied in Doon School and was chairman of PIADA.
His daughter-in-law is Nalini Singh
, wife of SPN Singh and sister of Arun Shourie
.
The family legacy is being carried on by his grandson Ashok Harshwardhan(son of A.P.N Singh)- who is actively working for the development of his ancestral village 'Sursand'. His grand daughter Ratna Singh is struggling to secure her recognition as grand daughter of Sir C. P. N Singh.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
's first ambassador to Nepal
Nepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
and later an ambassador to Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
(from 1958) and also the second Governor
Governor
A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
of Punjab
Punjab (India)
Punjab ) is a state in the northwest of the Republic of India, forming part of the larger Punjab region. The state is bordered by the Indian states of Himachal Pradesh to the east, Haryana to the south and southeast and Rajasthan to the southwest as well as the Pakistani province of Punjab to the...
in 1953 and then governor of Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh abbreviation U.P. , is a state located in the northern part of India. With a population of over 200 million people, it is India's most populous state, as well as the world's most populous sub-national entity...
from 1980 to 1985. A distinguished educator, an able administrator and an inspiring leadership interpreter of Indian Culture, Shri C.P.N. Singh was honoured with Padma Vibhushan
Padma Vibhushan
The Padma Vibhushan is the second highest civilian award in the Republic of India. It consists of a medal and a citation and is awarded by the President of India. It was established on 2 January 1954. It ranks behind the Bharat Ratna and comes before the Padma Bhushan...
in 1977 for his meritorious services rendered to the country.
The Kurukshetra University
Kurukshetra University
Kurukshetra University was established in 1956 in Kurukshetra in Haryana, India, situated 160 km from Delhi, and member of Association of Commonwealth Universities The Kurukshetra University was the dream of the then Punjab Governor, Sir Chandeshwar Prasad Narayan Singh, a great Sanskrit...
was the dream of the then Punjab Governor, Sir C.P.N. Singh, a great Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
scholar, who wanted to set up an institute to promote Indian culture and traditions. Pracheen Kala Kendra, an institution for arts and culture was established in Chandigarh
Chandigarh
Chandigarh is a union territory of India that serves as the capital of two states, Haryana and Punjab. The name Chandigarh translates as "The Fort of Chandi". The name is from an ancient temple called Chandi Mandir, devoted to the Hindu goddess Chandi, in the city...
in the year 1956 with the active support and kind patronage of the then Honourable Governor of Punjab
Governor of Punjab
Governor of Punjab may refer to:* List of Governors of Punjab , of the pre-independence Punjab province of British India* List of Governors of Punjab , of Punjab state in India...
Sir C.P.N. Singh. Sir Sinha was the Vice Chancellor of University of Patna
University of Patna
The Patna University, Hindi: पटना विश्वविद्यालय, the first university in Bihar, was established in 1917 during the British Raj, and is the seventh oldest university of the Indian subcontinent. At that time, the jurisdiction of the university extended to Bihar, Orissa, and the Kingdom of Nepal...
from 1 January 1945 to 20 June 1949. The Patna University Institute of Psychological Research and Service, one of the oldest psychological service centres in Eastern India was founded in 1945 at the initiative of Sir C.P.N. Sinha and the institute is located at Krishna Kunj, the building housing the institute which was donated to Patna University by late Sir Ganesh Dutt Singh, an eminent educationist of the state.
Vice Chancellor Sir Chandeshwar Prasad Narayan Singh's (Sir CPN Singh) (1945–49) contribution to develop a post-graduate course in the university was acclaimed by all. He brought teachers of eminence from all over the country to man the newly opened departments.
He was a close friend of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru.
Biography
Sir CPN was born in a Bhumihar Brahmin family in Parsgarh, MuzaffarpurMuzaffarpur
Muzaffarpur Town is a town in Muzaffarpur district in the Indian state of Bihar. It serves as the headquarters of Muzaffarpur district and Tirhut division....
, Bihar
Bihar
Bihar is a state in eastern India. It is the 12th largest state in terms of geographical size at and 3rd largest by population. Almost 58% of Biharis are below the age of 25, which is the highest proportion in India....
. Standing First Class-First from the Calcutta University in his M.A.
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
, he obtained the Mallick Gold Medal in 1925. After coming to Bihar, he was elected to the then Legislative Council
Legislative Council
A Legislative Council is the name given to the legislatures, or one of the chambers of the legislature of many nations and colonies.A Member of the Legislative Council is commonly referred to as an MLC.- Unicameral legislatures :...
in 1927. He was also elected Chairman of the District Board of Muzaffarpur, where he distinguished himself by exemplary organisation of succour for earthquake victims of the great Bihar Earthquake of 1934. This received special recognition at the hands of the different organisations of the country, including the Indian National Congress
Indian National Congress
The Indian National Congress is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Bharatiya Janata Party. It is the largest and one of the oldest democratic political parties in the world. The party's modern liberal platform is largely considered center-left in the Indian...
at that time. In 1945, he became the Vice-Chancellor of the United Patna University. After Independence, he was invited by the then Prime Minister, Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru, to become the country's Ambassador to Nepal. It was during his tenure the King of Nepal sought refuge at the Indian Embassy in 1950. After completing his tenure there, he was appointed the Governor of undivided Punjab in 1953. It was under his aegis that the city of Chandigarh and the Bhakra Dam
Bhakra Dam
Bhakra Dam is a concrete gravity dam across the Sutlej River, and is near the border between Punjab and Himachal Pradesh in northern India.The dam, located at a gorge near the upstream Bhakra village in Bilaspur district of Himachal Pradesh, is Asia's second highest at 225.55 m high next to...
dam were built. In 1958, he subsequently became the Ambassador to Japan. There he received the signal and unique honour of receiving a doctorate from the prestigious Ohtani University. Unable to continue in the post, due to ill-health, he was forced to come back to India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. After that he became a Director of the Reserve Bank of India
Reserve Bank of India
The Reserve Bank of India is the central banking institution of India and controls the monetary policy of the rupee as well as US$300.21 billion of currency reserves. The institution was established on 1 April 1935 during the British Raj in accordance with the provisions of the Reserve Bank of...
and the I.D.B.I. and the Chairman of several companies.
His son A.P.N Singh, Studied in Doon School and was chairman of PIADA.
His daughter-in-law is Nalini Singh
Nalini Singh
Nalini Singh is an Indian journalist. For the New Zealand author see Nalini Singh .She has been the anchor for several current affairs programs on Doordarshan, and is most known for her program, 'Aankhon Dekhi', on investigative journalism.-Early life:She is daughter of consumer rights activist,...
, wife of SPN Singh and sister of Arun Shourie
Arun Shourie
Arun Shourie is an Indian journalist, author, intellectual and politician. He has been an economist with the World Bank , a consultant to the Planning Commission, India, editor of the Indian Express and Times of India and a minister in the government of India . He was awarded the Ramon Magsaysay...
.
The family legacy is being carried on by his grandson Ashok Harshwardhan(son of A.P.N Singh)- who is actively working for the development of his ancestral village 'Sursand'. His grand daughter Ratna Singh is struggling to secure her recognition as grand daughter of Sir C. P. N Singh.