Karan Singh
Encyclopedia
Karan Singh is an MP in the Rajya Sabha
, a senior member of the ruling Indian National Congress
Party serving as Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Department, President of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations
(ICCR), India
's Ambassador to UNESCO
, Chairman of the Auroville
Foundation and of the Temple of Understanding
, author, diplomat, champion of interfaith
dialogue, and Hindu
scholar. Singh is the son of the last ruler of the princely state
of Kashmir and Jammu
, Maharaja
Hari Singh
. In the 26th amendment to the Constitution of India
promulgated in 1971, the Government of India abolished all official symbols of princely India
, including titles, privileges, and remuneration (privy purses
). Singh received the Padma Vibhushan
in 2005.
, France
, to the last ruler of the princely state
of Kashmir and Jammu
(also known as The Royal House of Jammu and Kashmir
), Maharaja
Hari Singh
and his wife Maharani Tara Devi.
He was educated at Doon School, Dehra Dun, and received a B.A. from Sri Pratap Singh (S. P.) College, Srinagar
, Jammu and Kashmir University, and an M.A. in Political Science from Delhi University. He went on to receive a Ph.D.
from Delhi University.
In 1949, at age of eighteen, he was appointed as the regent of Jammu and Kashmir
state after his father stepped down as the king, following the state's accession to India. He served successively as regent, Sadr-i-Riyasat and governor of the state of Jammu and Kashmir from 1965 to 1967. He was then, successively, Union Minister for Tourism and Civil Aviation from 1967 to 1973, Minister of Health and Family Planning from 1973 to 1977 and Minister of Education and Culture in 1979–1980. In 1990–1991, he served as Indian Ambassador to the US.
From 1967 to 1980, and in 1990, Karan Singh served as an MP in the Lok Sabha
; since 1996, he has been an MP in the Rajya Sabha
. He served as Chancellor of Banaras Hindu University
, Jammu and Kashmir University, and Jawaharlal Nehru University
. He is an active member of several boards, organizations, and foundations, including the Author's Guild of India, the ICCR
, the Auroville
Foundation, the Indian Board of Wildlife, and several others.
Presently, Karan Singh is Chairman of the AICC Foreign Department.
, the last Rana Prime Minister of Nepal from the Rana dynasty
of Nepal
. They had three children — a daughter, Jyotsna, and two sons Vikramaditya and Ajatshatru, and six grandchildren — Vivaswat, Viveka, Mriganka, Martand, Adishree and Ranvijay.
- 1935 King George VI Coronation Medal
- 1937 Padma Vibhushan
- (25/1/2005)
Doctor of Letters
(D.Litt.) Degree by Kathmandu University
at the university’s 17th convocation
ceremony - November 6, 2011
Rajya Sabha
The Rajya Sabha or Council of States is the upper house of the Parliament of India. Rajya means "state," and Sabha means "assembly hall" in Sanskrit. Membership is limited to 250 members, 12 of whom are chosen by the President of India for their expertise in specific fields of art, literature,...
, a senior member of the ruling 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...
Party serving as Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Department, President of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations
Indian Council for Cultural Relations
The Indian Council for Cultural Relations , is an autonomous organisation of the Government of India, involved in India’s external cultural relations, through cultural exchange with other countries and their peoples...
(ICCR), 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...
's Ambassador to UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
, Chairman of the Auroville
Auroville
Auroville is an "experimental" township in Viluppuram district in the state of Tamil Nadu, India, near Pondicherry in South India. It was founded in 1968 by Mirra Alfassa and designed by architect Roger Anger...
Foundation and of the Temple of Understanding
Temple of Understanding
The Temple of Understanding was founded in 1960 by Juliet Hollister, and is a pioneer of the Interfaith Movement.- History :In its early years, the organization convened large “Spiritual Summits” in Calcutta and Geneva bringing together religious and spiritual leaders of diverse traditions to...
, author, diplomat, champion of interfaith
Interfaith
The term interfaith dialogue refers to cooperative, constructive and positive interaction between people of different religious traditions and/or spiritual or humanistic beliefs, at both the individual and institutional levels...
dialogue, and Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
scholar. Singh is the son of the last ruler of the princely state
Princely state
A Princely State was a nominally sovereign entitity of British rule in India that was not directly governed by the British, but rather by an Indian ruler under a form of indirect rule such as suzerainty or paramountcy.-British relationship with the Princely States:India under the British Raj ...
of Kashmir and Jammu
Kashmir and Jammu
Jammu and Kashmir was, from 1846 until 1947, a princely state in the British Empire in India, and was ruled by a Maharaja. The state was created in 1846 when, after its victory in the First Anglo-Sikh War, the East India Company annexed the Kashmir valley and immediately sold it to the Dogra ruler...
, Maharaja
Maharaja
Mahārāja is a Sanskrit title for a "great king" or "high king". The female equivalent title Maharani denotes either the wife of a Maharaja or, in states where that was customary, a woman ruling in her own right. The widow of a Maharaja is known as a Rajamata...
Hari Singh
Hari Singh
Maharaja Hari Singh was the last ruling Maharaja of the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir in India.He was married four times...
. In the 26th amendment to the Constitution of India
Constitution of India
The Constitution of India is the supreme law of India. It lays down the framework defining fundamental political principles, establishes the structure, procedures, powers, and duties of government institutions, and sets out fundamental rights, directive principles, and the duties of citizens...
promulgated in 1971, the Government of India abolished all official symbols of princely India
Princely state
A Princely State was a nominally sovereign entitity of British rule in India that was not directly governed by the British, but rather by an Indian ruler under a form of indirect rule such as suzerainty or paramountcy.-British relationship with the Princely States:India under the British Raj ...
, including titles, privileges, and remuneration (privy purses
Privy Purse in India
In India, the Privy Purse was a payment made to the royal families of erstwhile princely states as part of their agreements to first integrate with India in 1947, and later to merge their states in 1949 whereby they lost all ruling rights...
). Singh received the 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 2005.
Early life and education
Karan Singh was born on March 9, 1931, in CannesCannes
Cannes is one of the best-known cities of the French Riviera, a busy tourist destination and host of the annual Cannes Film Festival. It is a Commune of France in the Alpes-Maritimes department....
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, to the last ruler of the princely state
Princely state
A Princely State was a nominally sovereign entitity of British rule in India that was not directly governed by the British, but rather by an Indian ruler under a form of indirect rule such as suzerainty or paramountcy.-British relationship with the Princely States:India under the British Raj ...
of Kashmir and Jammu
Kashmir and Jammu
Jammu and Kashmir was, from 1846 until 1947, a princely state in the British Empire in India, and was ruled by a Maharaja. The state was created in 1846 when, after its victory in the First Anglo-Sikh War, the East India Company annexed the Kashmir valley and immediately sold it to the Dogra ruler...
(also known as The Royal House of Jammu and Kashmir
The Royal House of Jammu and Kashmir
The Royal House of Jammu and Kashmir trace their roots to the mythical Ikshvaku Dynasty of Northern India, Lord Rama is the 'kuldevta' of the Dogras....
), Maharaja
Maharaja
Mahārāja is a Sanskrit title for a "great king" or "high king". The female equivalent title Maharani denotes either the wife of a Maharaja or, in states where that was customary, a woman ruling in her own right. The widow of a Maharaja is known as a Rajamata...
Hari Singh
Hari Singh
Maharaja Hari Singh was the last ruling Maharaja of the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir in India.He was married four times...
and his wife Maharani Tara Devi.
He was educated at Doon School, Dehra Dun, and received a B.A. from Sri Pratap Singh (S. P.) College, Srinagar
Srinagar
Srinagar is the summer seasonal capital of Jammu and Kashmir. It is situated in Kashmir Valley and lies on the banks of the Jhelum River, a tributary of the Indus. It is one of the largest cities in India not to have a Hindu majority. The city is famous for its gardens, lakes and houseboats...
, Jammu and Kashmir University, and an M.A. in Political Science from Delhi University. He went on to receive a Ph.D.
Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
from Delhi University.
Political career
Jammu and Kashmir
Jammu and Kashmir is the northernmost state of India. It is situated mostly in the Himalayan mountains. Jammu and Kashmir shares a border with the states of Himachal Pradesh and Punjab to the south and internationally with the People's Republic of China to the north and east and the...
state after his father stepped down as the king, following the state's accession to India. He served successively as regent, Sadr-i-Riyasat and governor of the state of Jammu and Kashmir from 1965 to 1967. He was then, successively, Union Minister for Tourism and Civil Aviation from 1967 to 1973, Minister of Health and Family Planning from 1973 to 1977 and Minister of Education and Culture in 1979–1980. In 1990–1991, he served as Indian Ambassador to the US.
From 1967 to 1980, and in 1990, Karan Singh served as an MP in the Lok Sabha
Lok Sabha
The Lok Sabha or House of the People is the lower house of the Parliament of India. Members of the Lok Sabha are elected by direct election under universal adult suffrage. As of 2009, there have been fifteen Lok Sabhas elected by the people of India...
; since 1996, he has been an MP in the Rajya Sabha
Rajya Sabha
The Rajya Sabha or Council of States is the upper house of the Parliament of India. Rajya means "state," and Sabha means "assembly hall" in Sanskrit. Membership is limited to 250 members, 12 of whom are chosen by the President of India for their expertise in specific fields of art, literature,...
. He served as Chancellor of Banaras Hindu University
Banaras Hindu University
Banaras Hindu University is a public university located in Varanasi, India and is one of the Central Universities of India. It is the largest residential university in Asia, with over 24,000 students in its campus. BHU was founded in 1916 by Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya under the Parliamentary...
, Jammu and Kashmir University, and Jawaharlal Nehru University
Jawaharlal Nehru University
Jawaharlal Nehru University, also known as JNU, is located in New Delhi, the capital of India. It is mainly a research oriented postgraduate University with approximately 5,500 students and a faculty strength of around 550.-History:...
. He is an active member of several boards, organizations, and foundations, including the Author's Guild of India, the ICCR
Iccr
ICCR stands for:* Indian Council for Cultural Relations* The Interdisciplinary Centre for Comparative Research in the Social Sciences* Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility* International Centre for Classroom Research...
, the Auroville
Auroville
Auroville is an "experimental" township in Viluppuram district in the state of Tamil Nadu, India, near Pondicherry in South India. It was founded in 1968 by Mirra Alfassa and designed by architect Roger Anger...
Foundation, the Indian Board of Wildlife, and several others.
Presently, Karan Singh is Chairman of the AICC Foreign Department.
Personal life
In 1956, he married Princess Yasho Rajya Lakshmi (1937–2009), the granddaughter of Maharaja Sir Mohan Shamsher Jang Bahadur RanaMohan Shamsher Jang Bahadur Rana
Field-Marshal Mohan Shamsher Jang Bahadur Rana, GCB, GCIE, GBE was the prime minister and foreign minister of Nepal from 30 April 1948 until 12 November 1951....
, the last Rana Prime Minister of Nepal from the Rana dynasty
Rana dynasty
The Rana dynasty ruled the Kingdom of Nepal from 1846 until 1953, reducing the Shah monarch to a figurehead and making Prime Minister and other government positions hereditary...
of 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...
. They had three children — a daughter, Jyotsna, and two sons Vikramaditya and Ajatshatru, and six grandchildren — Vivaswat, Viveka, Mriganka, Martand, Adishree and Ranvijay.
Styles
- 1931–1939: YuvrajYuvrajYuvraj, Yuvaraja, or Yuvaraj is an Indian title for "Crown Prince", i.e., heir apparent to the throne of an Indian Princely State or former Hindu kingdom ruling the India before Indian independence...
SriSriSri , also transliterated as Shri or Shree or shre is a word of Sanskrit origin, used in the Indian subcontinent as polite form of address equivalent to the English "Mr." in written and spoken language, or as a title of veneration for deities .-Etymology:Sri has the root meaning of radiance, or...
Karan Singh Bahadur, Yuvaraja of Jammu and KashmirJammu and KashmirJammu and Kashmir is the northernmost state of India. It is situated mostly in the Himalayan mountains. Jammu and Kashmir shares a border with the states of Himachal Pradesh and Punjab to the south and internationally with the People's Republic of China to the north and east and the... - 1939–1945: Second LieutenantSecond LieutenantSecond lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...
Yuvraj Sri Karan Singh Bahadur, Yuvaraja of Jammu and Kashmir - 1945–1961: ColonelColonelColonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
Yuvraj Sri Karan Singh Bahadur, Yuvaraja of Jammu and Kashmir - 1961–present: Major-General His Highness Shriman Rajrajeshwar Maharajadhiraj Dr. SriSriSri , also transliterated as Shri or Shree or shre is a word of Sanskrit origin, used in the Indian subcontinent as polite form of address equivalent to the English "Mr." in written and spoken language, or as a title of veneration for deities .-Etymology:Sri has the root meaning of radiance, or...
Karan Singh Indar Mahindar Bahadur, Sipar-i-Sultanat, Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir (formally preferred to be known as Dr. Sri Karan Singh upon accession)- 1949–1952: Sri Karan Singh, Regent of Jammu and Kashmir
- 1952–1961: His ExcellencyExcellencyExcellency is an honorific style given to certain members of an organization or state.Usually, people styled "Excellency" are heads of state, heads of government, governors, ambassadors, certain ecclesiastics, royalty, aristocracy, and military, and others holding equivalent rank .It is...
Sri Karan Singh, Sadr-i-Riyasat of Jammu and Kashmir - 1961–1965: His Excellency Dr. Sri Karan Singh, Sadr-i-Riyasat of Jammu and Kashmir
- 1965–1967: His Excellency Dr. Sri Karan Singh, Governor of Jammu and Kashmir
- 1967–1980; 1990: The Right HonourableThe Right HonourableThe Right Honourable is an honorific prefix that is traditionally applied to certain people in the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the Anglophone Caribbean and other Commonwealth Realms, and occasionally elsewhere...
Dr. Sri Karan Singh, MPMember of ParliamentA Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(Lok SabhaLok SabhaThe Lok Sabha or House of the People is the lower house of the Parliament of India. Members of the Lok Sabha are elected by direct election under universal adult suffrage. As of 2009, there have been fifteen Lok Sabhas elected by the people of India...
) - 1980–1989; 1991–1996: Dr. Sri Karan Singh
- 1989–1990: His Excellency Dr. Sri Karan Singh, AmbassadorAmbassadorAn ambassador is the highest ranking diplomat who represents a nation and is usually accredited to a foreign sovereign or government, or to an international organization....
to the United States of America - 1996–present: The Right Honourable Dr. Sri Karan Singh, MP (Rajya SabhaRajya SabhaThe Rajya Sabha or Council of States is the upper house of the Parliament of India. Rajya means "state," and Sabha means "assembly hall" in Sanskrit. Membership is limited to 250 members, 12 of whom are chosen by the President of India for their expertise in specific fields of art, literature,...
)
Honours
King George V Silver Jubilee MedalKing George V Silver Jubilee Medal
The King George V Silver Jubilee Medal was a commemorative medal made to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the coronation of King George V.-Issue:...
- 1935 King George VI Coronation Medal
King George VI Coronation Medal
The King George VI Coronation Medal was a commemorative medal made to celebrate the coronation of King George VI.-Issue:For Coronation and Jubilee medals, the practice up until 1977 was that United Kingdom authorities decided on a total number to be produced, then allocated a proportion to each of...
- 1937 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...
- (25/1/2005)
Doctor of Letters
Doctor of Letters
Doctor of Letters is a university academic degree, often a higher doctorate which is frequently awarded as an honorary degree in recognition of outstanding scholarship or other merits.-Commonwealth:...
(D.Litt.) Degree by Kathmandu University
Kathmandu University
Kathmandu University is the third oldest university in Nepal located in Dhulikhel, Kavrepalanchok District, about 35Km east of Kathmandu. KU was established in 1991 with the motto "Quality Education for Leadership"...
at the university’s 17th convocation
Graduation
Graduation is the action of receiving or conferring an academic degree or the ceremony that is sometimes associated, where students become Graduates. Before the graduation, candidates are referred to as Graduands. The date of graduation is often called degree day. The graduation itself is also...
ceremony - November 6, 2011
See also
- Instrument of Accession (Jammu and Kashmir)Instrument of Accession (Jammu and Kashmir)The Instrument of Accession is a legal document executed by Maharajah Hari Singh, ruler of the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir, on 26 October 1947...
to the Country / Dominion of India - List of topics on the land and the people of Jammu and Kashmir
Further reading
- Jammu and Kashmir: 1949-1964: Selected Correspondence between Jawaharlal Nehru and Karan Singh. Edited by Jamaid Alam. Penguin 2006. http://www.hinduonnet.com/fline/fl2325/stories/20061229001008100.htm