Karan Singh
Karan Singh (born March 9, 1931 in Cannes , France ) is an Indian writer , politician and diplomat . He was the last ruling prince of Jammu and Kashmir.
Life
Karan Singh was born in 1931 as the only son and crown prince of the Maharajas of Jammu and Kashmir , Hari Singh , and the Maharani Tara Devi. Singh studied at Jammu and Kashmir University and the University of Delhi . At the latter he received his MA in political science in 1957. He later received his doctorate from the University of Delhi.
Singh's political career began in 1949, at the age of 18, when he was made regent of Jammu and Kashmir by his father. This appointment came under pressure from Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru . In 1952 he was elected Sadr-e-Riyasat (President of the Province) and remained so until 1964 when the office was replaced by the office of Governor of Jammu and Kashmir. Singh then became the first governor of Jammu and Kashmir from 1964 to 1967.
In 1967 he became cabinet minister in the government of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi . Singh was the youngest cabinet minister in Indian history at the age of 36. Shortly afterwards he was elected to the Lok Sabha and remained a member of parliament from 1967 to 1980. In 1973 he was appointed Minister of Health and Family Planning. Singh was previously Minister for Tourism and Civil Aviation from 1967 to 1973. In 1979 he became Minister for Education and Culture. From 1989 to 1990 he was the successor to PK Kaul as Ambassador to the United States . Since 1997 he has been a member of the Rajya Sabha (upper house in parliament) of the state of Jammu and Kashmir. He was awarded the Padma Vibhushan in 2005.
Singh is the author of various English books on political science and religion, as well as philosophical essays and poetry. He also wrote his autobiography and a book about Sri Aurobindo .
Singh has been married to Princess Yasho Rajya Lakshmi, granddaughter of Mohan Shamsher Jang Bahadur Rana , the last Nepalese Prime Minister of the Rana dynasty, since the 1950s . The two have three children.
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| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Singh, Karan |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Indian writer, politician and diplomat |
| DATE OF BIRTH | March 9, 1931 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Cannes |