Harnam Singh Grewal
Encyclopedia
Harnam Singh Grewal CBE
ED (born December 5, 1937 in Hong Kong
) is a career civil servant of Hong Kong. He grew up and lived most of his life in Hong Kong. Upon completion of his University education, he returned to serve in the Government of Hong Kong
. The last post he held was Secretary for the Civil Service
. He retired to Canada in the 1990s.
in Ludhiana District
, Punjab. He attended primary school in the village, and when the family returned to Hong Kong in 1947, continued his schooling at Sir Ellis Kadoorie School and then King's College. He is an avid field hockey fan, and in his younger days represented Hong Kong as a player at the international level, with the high points being the Asian Games in Djakarta (1962) and Bangkok (1966) and the Olympic Games in Tokyo (1964). He was an active member of the Royal Hong Kong Regiment (The Volunteers) from 1963 to 1984 when he retired with the rank of Major. He was appointed Honorary Colonel of the Regiment in 1987 and served in that capacity until 1990.
field hockey
player for Hong Kong
during the 1964 Summer Olympics
.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
ED (born December 5, 1937 in Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
) is a career civil servant of Hong Kong. He grew up and lived most of his life in Hong Kong. Upon completion of his University education, he returned to serve in the Government of Hong Kong
Government of Hong Kong
The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China, commonly the Hong Kong Government, is led by the Chief Executive as Head of the Government, who is also the head of the Hong Kong SAR...
. The last post he held was Secretary for the Civil Service
Secretary for the Civil Service
The Secretary for the Civil Service is the head of the Civil Service Bureau in Hong Kong. Unlike other secretaries for bureaux, the Secretary for the Civil Service is filled by an administrative officer from the civil service, who may choose to return to the civil service when his term expires...
. He retired to Canada in the 1990s.
Early days
Grewal spent his childhood in his ancestral village of BallowalBallowal
Ballowal is a small village situated in district Ludhiana, Punjab, India. This village is about 15 km from Ludhiana city. The population of this village is approximately 2500. There is a canal on one side of the village and a suaa on the other side of the village. Although it is a small...
in Ludhiana District
Ludhiana District
-Rainfall:The rainfall in the district increases from the southwest toward the northeast. About 70% of the rainfall is received during the period of July through September...
, Punjab. He attended primary school in the village, and when the family returned to Hong Kong in 1947, continued his schooling at Sir Ellis Kadoorie School and then King's College. He is an avid field hockey fan, and in his younger days represented Hong Kong as a player at the international level, with the high points being the Asian Games in Djakarta (1962) and Bangkok (1966) and the Olympic Games in Tokyo (1964). He was an active member of the Royal Hong Kong Regiment (The Volunteers) from 1963 to 1984 when he retired with the rank of Major. He was appointed Honorary Colonel of the Regiment in 1987 and served in that capacity until 1990.
Education
He attended primary school at the Sir Ellis Kadoorie School, Hong Kong, in the late 1940s. He then went to King's College for his secondary schooling before entering the University of Hong Kong in 1956. He graduated with a B.A. (Hons.) in English from there in 1959, and completed a Diploma in Education the following year. He then went on to England to study at the University of Cambridge for two years before returning to Hong Kong in 1962.Career with the Hong Kong government
He initially taught at Queen's College in Hong Kong, from 1962 to 1964. When the Government was recruiting Administrative Officers for the 1964 intake, he applied and was taken on. He served in various posts over the years, including that of District Officer Taipo (1970 - 1973), Deputy Director of Urban Services (New Territories) (1976 -1980), and Deputy Secretary for the Civil Service (1980 - 1984). He was appointed Commissioner of Customs and Excise in 1984, followed by his appointment as Secretary for Transport in 1986. He took on the portfolio of the Secretary for the Civil Service in early 1987 and held that position for just under three years. He retired as Secretary for the Civil Service in 1990.Olympian
Grewal was an OlympicOlympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
field hockey
Field hockey
Field Hockey, or Hockey, is a team sport in which a team of players attempts to score goals by hitting, pushing or flicking a ball into an opposing team's goal using sticks...
player for Hong Kong
Hong Kong at the 1964 Summer Olympics
-Cycling:Men's Individual Road Race*Mok Shau Hei — did not finish *Chow Kwong Man — did not finish *Chow Kwong Choi — did not finish * Daniel Castro - Hockey * Chan Kam Hong - Swimming...
during the 1964 Summer Olympics
1964 Summer Olympics
The 1964 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVIII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event held in Tokyo, Japan in 1964. Tokyo had been awarded with the organization of the 1940 Summer Olympics, but this honor was subsequently passed to Helsinki because of Japan's...
.