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<p><b>New page</b></p><div>{{short description|Hindi linguist}}<br />
{{Use Indian English|date=June 2017}}<br />
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2017}}<br />
{{Infobox writer<br />
| name = Namvar Singh <br />
| image = bharat-s-tiwari-photography-IMG 2504 June 06, 2015.jpg<br />
| caption = Namvar Singh speaking at the launch of 'Aalochana' vol 53-54 (published by [[Rajkamal Prakashan]]), at Rabindra Bhawan, [[Sahitya Akademi]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://aajtak.intoday.in/story/rajkamal-prakashan-bhartiya-jantantra-ka-jayja-discussion-sahitya-akademy-1-815739.html|title = एक परिचर्चाः भारतीय जनतंत्र का जायजा}}</ref><br />
| native_name = Namvar Singh<br />
| native_name_lang = <br />
| birth_date = {{Birth date|df=yes|1926|07|28}}<br />
| birth_place = [[Varanasi]], [[Uttar Pradesh]], [[British Raj|British India]]<br />
| death_date = {{death date and age|2019|02|19|1926|07|28|df=y}}<br />
| death_place = [[Delhi]], India<br />
| language = [[Hindi]]<br />
| alma_mater = [[Banaras Hindu University]]<br />
| notableworks = ''Kavita Ke Naye Pratiman'', '' Chhayavaad '', '' Dusari Parampara Ki Khoj ''<br />
| occupation = Writer, critic<br />
| awards = 1971: [[Sahitya Akademi Award]] <br>1991: Shalaka Samman,Sahitya Bhushan Samman, Kuvempu Rashtreeya Puraskar<br />
| relatives = [[Kashinath Singh]] (brother)<br />
| nationality = Indian<br />
}}<br />
<br />
'''Namvar Singh''' ([[Hindi]]: {{transl|hi|नामवर सिंह}}) (28 July 1926 – 19 February 2019) was an Indian literary critic, linguist, academician and theoretician.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Hindi-author-Namwar-Singh-bucks-the-trend-questions-writers-returning-Sahitya-Akademi-awards/articleshow/49429237.cms|title=Hindi author Namwar Singh bucks the trend}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.openthemagazine.com/article/politics/namvar-singh-what-will-marx-think|title=Namvar Singh: What Will Marx Think?|website=Open}}</ref> He received his doctorate degree from Banaras Hindu University where he also taught for some time. He served as a professor of Hindi literature in several other universities. He was the founder and first chairman of [[Jawaharlal Nehru University]]'s Centre of Indian Languages and continued to remain as a professor emeritus after his retirement in 1992.<br />
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==Early life==<br />
Singh was born on 28 July 1926 in Jiyanpur village in [[Varanasi]] (now under [[Chandauli district|Chandauli]]) District of [[Uttar Pradesh]], India.<ref name="auto" /> He received his early education there. He then moved to Varanasi to pursue his further studies and did his matriculation and higher secondary education at [[Udai Pratap Autonomous College]], Varanasi.<ref name="auto" /> He enrolled in [[Banaras Hindu University]] (BHU) for higher studies, where he completed his bachelor's in 1949 and master's with gold medal in 1951. He got the Ph.D. under the supervision of [[Hazari Prasad Dwivedi]].<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=https://www.rajkamalprakashan.com/default/jmproducts/filter/index/?author=112|title=Authors of Rajkamal Prakashan Group &#124; Namvar Singh|website=www.rajkamalprakashan.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4kDLPwWxO48C&q=namvar+singh&pg=PA435|title=Namvar Singh : Aalochna Ke Dusre Arampara|first1=Namwar|last1=Singh|first2=Kamalā|last2=Prasāda|first3=Rājendra|last3=Śarmā|date=20 February 2002|publisher=Vāṇī Prakāśana|isbn=9788170551454|via=Google Books}}</ref> His younger brother [[Kashinath Singh]] is also a writer.<ref name="NDTV_death" /><br />
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==Career==<br />
After completing his Ph.D., Singh started teaching at Banaras Hindu University. For a brief period he also taught at [[Sagar University]]. His association with the two universities ended due to his [[communist]] activities.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://thewire.in/books/namwar-singh-and-the-perils-of-inconsistency|title=From Red to Saffron, the Literary Journey of Namvar Singh|website=The Wire}}</ref> He later became a professor of Hindi at [[Jodhpur University]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.thehindu.com/features/metroplus/anything-but-epic/article7309931.ece|title=Anything but epic|first=Kuldeep|last=Kumar|newspaper=The Hindu|date=12 June 2015|via=www.thehindu.com}}</ref> At [[Jawaharlal Nehru University]] (JNU), he created a new pattern of teaching and prepared the curriculum. He was the founder and first chairman of JNU's Centre of Indian Languages.<ref name="pustakNamvar">{{cite web |title=नामवर सिंह संकलित निबंध – नामवर सिंह Namvar Singh Sankalit Nibandh – Hindi book by – Namvar Singh |url=https://pustak.org/index.php/books/bookdetails/7830 |website=pustak.org |accessdate=20 February 2019}}</ref> He retired from JNU in the year 1992. After his retirement, he served as a professor emeritus at the Center of Indian Languages at JNU.<ref name="auto1">{{cite news |title=मशहूर आलोचक डॉ नामवर सिंह को दी गई साहित्य अकादमी की महत्तर सदस्यता |url=https://khabar.ndtv.com/news/literature/litterateur-namvar-singh-honoured-by-sahitya-akademi-1674266 |accessdate=20 February 2019 |work=NDTVIndia}}</ref><ref name="auto3">{{Cite news|url=https://www.business-standard.com/article/news-ani/prof-namvar-singh-to-be-conferred-kuvempu-rashtreeya-puraskar-114092200722_1.html|title=Prof. Namvar Singh to be conferred Kuvempu Rashtreeya Puraskar|newspaper=Business Standard India|date=22 September 2014|via=Business Standard}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.jnu.ac.in/Administration/ProfessorEmeritus.asp|title=Professors Emeritus/Emerita, JNU|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20151115201938/http://www.jnu.ac.in/Administration/ProfessorEmeritus.asp|archivedate=15 November 2015|df=dmy-all}}</ref><br />
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In 1959, Singh unsuccessfully contested the [[Elections in India|general election]] as a [[Communist Party of India]] (CPI) candidate from the [[Chandauli (Lok Sabha constituency)|Chandauli]] constituency in [[Uttar Pradesh]]. He polled over 18,000 votes, finishing a distant third. 5b <ref name="NDTV_death" /><br />
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Apart from his academic engagement, Singh worked as the editor of a weekly news magazine ''Janyuga'', and ''Alochana'', a Hindi magazine for literary criticism.<ref name="NDTV_death" /><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vjsHCwAAQBAJ&q=Namvar+singh+award&pg=PT322|title=Today's Pasts: A Memoir|first=Bhisham|last=Sahni|date=10 November 2015|publisher=Penguin UK|isbn=9789385890192|via=Google Books}}</ref> Following his retirement from JNU he was appointed the Chancellor of [[Mahatma Gandhi Antarrashtriya Hindi Vishwavidyalaya]], Wardha.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.oneindia.com/2006/06/26/namwar-singh-appointed-chancellor-of-international-hindi-university-1151328010.html|title=Namwar Singh appointed Chancellor of International Hindi University|date=26 June 2006|website= Oneindia }}</ref> He also worked as the chairman of the [[Raja Rammohun Roy]] Library Foundation.<ref name="auto1"/><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IBB8drHUz7YC&q=Namvar+singh+RRMRLF&pg=PR10|title=National Policy on Library and Information Systems and Services for India: Perspectives and Projections|first=Brahmanda Pratap|last=Barua|date=20 February 1992|publisher=Popular Prakashan|isbn=9788171547302|via=Google Books}}</ref> Singh also served as the chairman of the selection board for the [[Jnanpith Award]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.jnanpith.net/awards/jnanpith-award|title=JNANPITH AWARD, Present Selection Board}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.thehindu.com/books/books-authors/marathi-novelist-bhalchandra-nemade-chosen-for-jnanpith-award/article6865738.ece|title=Marathi novelist Bhalchandra Nemade chosen for Jnanpith award|first=Satish|last=Nandgaonkar|newspaper=The Hindu|date=6 February 2015|via=www.thehindu.com}}</ref> <br />
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Namvar Singh died on 19 February 2019 in [[Delhi]] at the age of 92.<ref name="NDTV_death">{{cite news |title=Acclaimed Hindi Author Namvar Singh Dies At 92 |url=https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/acclaimed-hindi-author-namvar-singh-dies-at-92-1996217 |accessdate=20 February 2019 |work=NDTV.com |date=20 February 2019}}</ref><br />
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==Selected works==<br />
Singh has authored more than a dozen books.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.forwardpress.in/2016/06/namvars-kabir/|title=Namvar's Kabir|first=Kamlesh Verma कमलेश|last=वर्मा|date=15 June 2016|website=Forward Press}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.newsbharati.com/Encyc/2016/7/28/Namvar-Singh-Contribution-Hindi-Literature|title=Namvar Singh gets felicitated}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=147932|title=Shri Rajnath Singh Felicitates Prof. Namvar Singh at 'First Cultural Dialogue Series' of IGNCA|website=pib.nic.in}}</ref> Some of his works are:<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7107006.Namvar_Singh|title=Namvar Singh|website=www.goodreads.com}}</ref> <br />
* ''Kavita Ke Naye Pratiman'' {{ISBN|978-8-1267-0744-7}}<ref name="NDTV_death" /><br />
* ''Chhayavaad'' {{ISBN|978-8-1267-0736-2}}<ref name="NDTV_death" /><br />
* ''Dusari Parampara Ki khoj'' {{ISBN|978-8-1267-1591-6}}<ref name="NDTV_death" /><br />
* ''Itihaas Aur Alochana'' {{ISBN|978-8-1267-0510-8}}<br />
<!-- COMMENT OUT TILL ISBN or sources are added <br />
* ''Baklam Khud''<br />
* ''Vaad Vivaad Samvaad''<br />
* ''Kahaani Nai Kahaani''<br />
* ''Adhunik Sahitya Ki Pravrittyan''<br />
* ''Prithviraj Raso Ki Bhasha''<br />
* ''Hindi Ke Vikas Me Apbhramsha Ka yogdaan''--><br />
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==Awards and recognition==<br />
* [[Kendra Sahitya Academy Award|''Kendra Sahitya Akademi'' Award]] (1971) for his work ''Kavita Ke Naye Pratiman''.<ref name="NDTV_death" /><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://sahitya-akademi.gov.in/sahitya-akademi/awards/akademi%20samman_suchi.jsp|title=Akademi Award (1955–2016)|access-date=28 May 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304084937/http://sahitya-akademi.gov.in/sahitya-akademi/awards/akademi%20samman_suchi.jsp|archive-date=4 March 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref><br />
* ''Shalaka Samman'' by Hindi Academy, Delhi<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://bharatdiscovery.org/india/%E0%A4%B6%E0%A4%B2%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%95%E0%A4%BE_%E0%A4%B8%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A8|title=शलाका सम्मान - Bharatkosh|website=bharatdiscovery.org}}</ref> <br />
* ''Sahitya Bhushan Samman'' by [[Uttar Pradesh Hindi Sansthan]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.prabhatkhabar.com/news/vishesh-aalekh/story/835855.html|title=90 के नामवर : साहित्यिक योगी का जीवन जीते रहे हैं नामवर सिंह}}</ref><br />
* ''Kuvempu Rashtriya Puraskar'' by Rashtrakavi Kuvempu Prathisthana<ref name="auto3"/><br />
* ''Bharat Bharati Samman''<ref name="pustakNamvar" /><br />
* [[D.Litt.]] by [[University of Hyderabad]]<ref name="pustakNamvar" /><br />
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==References==<br />
{{Reflist|2}}<br />
{{Authority control}}<br />
{{Sahitya Akademi Award For Hindi}}<br />
{{DEFAULTSORT:Singh, Namvar}}<br />
[[Category:1926 births]]<br />
[[Category:2019 deaths]]<br />
[[Category:Writers from Varanasi]]<br />
[[Category:Recipients of the Sahitya Akademi Award in Hindi]]<br />
[[Category:Hindi-language writers]]<br />
[[Category:Banaras Hindu University alumni]]</div>->Editrite!