Karan Singh facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Karan Singh
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Singh in 2013
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| 1st Governor of Jammu and Kashmir | |
| In office 30 March 1965 – 15 May 1967 |
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| 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 |
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| 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 |
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| Monarch | Sir Hari Singh |
| Ambassador of India to the United States of America | |
| In office 1989–1990 |
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| Preceded by | P. K. Kaul |
| Succeeded by | Abid Hussain |
| Union Minister of Education and Culture | |
| In office 30 July 1979 – 14 January 1980 |
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| Prime Minister | Charan Singh |
| Preceded by | Pratap Chandra Chunder |
| Succeeded by | B. Shankaranand |
| Union Minister for Health and Family Planning | |
| In office 9 November 1973 – 24 March 1977 |
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| Prime Minister | Indira Gandhi |
| Preceded by | Uma Shankar Dikshit |
| Succeeded by | Raj Narain |
| Union Minister of Tourism and Civil Aviation | |
| In office 13 March 1967 – 9 November 1973 |
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| 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 |
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| Succeeded by | Sanjay Singh |
| Constituency | National Capital Territory of Delhi |
| Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha | |
| In office 1971–1984 |
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| Preceded by | G. S. Brigadier |
| Succeeded by | Girdhari Lal Dogra |
| Constituency | Udhampur |
| In office 1967–1968 |
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| 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 |
Jammu & Kashmir National Conference (1996–1999) Independent (1984) Indian National Congress (U) (1979–1984) |
| 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 |
| Parents | Maharaja Sir Hari Singh Maharani Tara Devi |
| Residences | Mansarovar 3, Nyaya Marg, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi |
| Alma mater | University of Kashmir (B.A.) University of Delhi (M.A., PhD) |
| Awards |  Padma Vibhushan |
| Signature |  |
| Website | karansingh.com |
Karan Singh (born 9 March 1931) is an important Indian politician and thinker. He was once the official ruler of the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir. From 1952 to 1965, he served as the Sadr-i-Riyasat (President) of Jammu and Kashmir. He also leads the Dharmarth Trust of Jammu and Kashmir, which looks after 175 temples in northern India and helps preserve historical sites.
Karan Singh was a senior member of the Indian National Congress party. He served as President and later as Governor of Jammu and Kashmir. He was also a member of India's Upper House of Parliament, called the Rajya Sabha, representing Delhi. He has been the chancellor of several universities, including Banaras Hindu University.
Contents
Early Life and Family
Karan Singh was born in Cannes, France, on March 9, 1931. He was the only son of Sir Hari Singh, who was the Maharaja (ruler) of Jammu and Kashmir. His mother was Maharani Tara Devi.
Karan Singh went to The Doon School in Dehradun, which was a boarding school. This was different from how most princes were taught, as they usually had tutors at home. At Doon School, he studied with students from all backgrounds and received a standard education. Later, he earned a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree from Jammu and Kashmir University and a Master of Arts (M.A.) and a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) from University of Delhi.
In 1950, when he was 19, Karan Singh married Yasho Rajya Lakshmi, who was 13. Her father was a nobleman from Nepal. Their marriage was arranged by their families and they had three children:
- Vikramaditya Singh, his elder son.
- Ajatshatru Singh, his second son, who became a politician.
- Jyotsna Singh, his only daughter.
Political Journey
In 1949, at just eighteen years old, Karan Singh became the Prince Regent of Jammu and Kashmir. This happened after his father stepped down as ruler when the state joined India. After that, he served as regent, then as the Sadr-i-Riyasat (President), and finally as the first Governor of Jammu and Kashmir from 1965 to 1967.
During his time as Sadr-i-Riyasat, Karan Singh was involved in a major political change in Jammu and Kashmir. This led to the removal and imprisonment of the then Prime Minister, Sheikh Abdullah, in 1953.
In 1967, he left his role as Governor of Jammu and Kashmir. He then became the youngest person ever to join the Union Cabinet, which is a group of top government ministers. He was in charge of Tourism and Civil Aviation from 1967 to 1973. Two years later, he gave up his "privy purse," which was a special payment given to former rulers. He put all that money into a charity named after his parents.
In 1971, the Indian government, with Karan Singh as a minister, stopped all special titles, privileges, and payments for former rulers. During the Cold War, he also served as India's ambassador to the United States. In 2005, he received the Padma Vibhushan, one of India's highest civilian awards.
In 1971, he was sent to Eastern European countries to explain India's position on the conflict in East Pakistan (now Bangladesh). From 1973 to 1977, he was the Minister for Health and Family Planning.
After a period called the Emergency, Karan Singh was elected to the Lok Sabha (India's lower house of Parliament) from Udhampur in 1977. He became the Minister of Education and Culture in 1979. From 1989 to 1990, he was India's Ambassador to the US, and he wrote a book about this experience called "Brief Sojourn."
Karan Singh was a member of the Lok Sabha from 1967 to 1984. He later became a member of the Rajya Sabha from 1996 to 1999, representing the Jammu & Kashmir National Conference party. He was again a Rajya Sabha member from 2000 to 2018, representing the Indian National Congress party.
Academic and Other Roles
Karan Singh has also had a distinguished academic career. He served as the chancellor of Banaras Hindu University for three terms until 2018. He has also been the chancellor of Jawaharlal Nehru University and the University of Kashmir.
He has been a guest anchor for Sansad TV, a television channel that covers parliamentary proceedings, where he discusses various topics.
Honours and Awards
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Karan Singh has received one of India's highest civilian awards:
Padma Vibhushan (2005).
See also
- Instrument of Accession (Jammu and Kashmir) to the Dominion of India
- List of topics on the land and the people of Jammu and Kashmir
Images for kids
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Prime Minister Manmohan Singh speaking at the launch of a film about Dr. Karan Singh in 2011.
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Karan Singh, along with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Rahul Gandhi presenting an award in 2011.
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Karan Singh meeting Hillary Clinton with Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi in July 2009.
