Karan Singh: Difference between revisions

| name                = Karan Singh

| image              = File:Pranab Mukherjee receiving the first copy of the book entitled "VB-Raju-The Visionary Leader" from the President of ICCR, Dr. Karan Singh, at Rashtrapati Bhavan.jpg

| caption            =  

| monarch2            = [[Hari Singh]]

| children            = [[Ajatshatru Singh]], [[Vikramaditya Singh (politician)|Vikramaditya Singh]]

| awards              = [[Padma Vibhushan]]

| parents            = [[Maharaja]] [[Hari Singh]]<br />[[Maharani]] Tara Devi

'''Karan Singh''' (born 9 March 1931) is an Indian politician and philosopher.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.karansingh.com|title=Dr. Karan Singh|website=karansingh.com|language=en-US|access-date=2017-06-19}}</ref> He is the son of the last ruling [[Maharaja]] of the [[princely state]] of [[Jammu and Kashmir (princely state)|Jammu and Kashmir]], [[Hari Singh]]. He was the [[prince regent]] of [[Jammu and Kashmir (princely state)|Jammu and Kashmir]] until 1952. From 1952 to 1965 he was the [[Sadr-i-Riyasat]] (President) of the state of [[Jammu and Kashmir (state)|Jammu and Kashmir]] in the Republic of India.<ref name="auto">{{Cite news|url=http://www.outlookindia.com/newswire/story/karan-singh-on-accession-of-kashmir-to-india/735445|title=Karan Singh on Accession of Kashmir to India|date=2017-07-19|work=[[Outlook India]] magazine|access-date=2017-06-19}}</ref> For the [[2022 Indian presidential election|2022 Indian Presidential Election]], he was reported as a potential candidate in Indian media, as recommended for nomination by [[Ankit Love]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Ankit Love wants nomination of Dr Karan Singh & Bhim Singh for President and Vice President of India|url=https://www.crosstownnews.in/post/65562/-ankit-love-wants-nomination-of-dr-karan-singh-a-bhim-singh-for-president-and-vice-president-of-india.html|access-date=2021-11-22|website=News - Cross Town News, a Leading Newspaper of J&K|language=en-US}}</ref>

Singh was a member of India's Upper House of Parliament, the [[Rajya Sabha]], representing the national capital territory of [[Delhi]]. He is a senior member of the [[Indian National Congress]] party who served successively as President ([[Sadr-i-Riyasat]])<ref name="auto"/><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=A5YkBQAAQBAJ&pg=PA341|title=The Life and Times of Lokmanya Tilak|last=Saraf|first=Nandini|date=2012|publisher=Prabhat Prakashan|isbn=9788184301526|pages=341|language=en|quote=Before leaving Srinagar he also had long talks with Yuvraj Karan Singh, who was then being pressed to become the Sadr-i-Riyasat - Head of State of the State.}}</ref> and [[List of governors of Jammu and Kashmir|Governor of the former state of Jammu and Kashmir]]. He was a life trustee and president of [[India International Centre|India International Center]]. He was elected chancellor of [[Banaras Hindu University]] for three terms,<ref>{{Cite web|last1=|first1=|date=24 June 2010|title=Karan Singh elected BHU chancellor for 3rd time|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/varanasi/Karan-Singh-elected-BHU-chancellor-for-3rd-time/articleshow/6087983.cms|url-status=live|access-date=2020-02-22|website=The Times of India|language=en}}</ref> and served till 2018.<ref>{{Cite news|agency=Press Trust of India|url=https://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/madan-mohan-malaviya-s-grandson-next-bhu-chancellor-118112701006_1.html|title=Madan Mohan Malaviya's grandson next BHU chancellor|date=2018-11-27|work=Business Standard India|access-date=2020-02-22}}</ref> He has been a prospective presidential candidate over the years.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2007-06-14|others=PTI|title=I'm available for the top job: Karan Singh|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india/i-m-available-for-the-top-job-karan-singh/story-Kov6Y1uWErEEaTuniaZogO.html|url-status=live|access-date=2021-11-13|website=Hindustan Times|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=23 June 2021|title=Ankit Love wants nomination of Dr Karan Singh & Bhim Singh for President and Vice President of India|url=https://www.crosstownnews.in/post/65562/-ankit-love-wants-nomination-of-dr-karan-singh-a-bhim-singh-for-president-and-vice-president-of-india.html|url-status=live|access-date=2021-10-16|website=Cross Town News|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Citation|title=Bhim Singh pitches Dr Karan Singh as next President|date=2017-06-05|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i7D7C4KXKl0 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211219/i7D7C4KXKl0 |archive-date=2021-12-19 |url-status=live|work=Daily Excelsior|access-date=2017-06-18}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://jkmonitor.org/index.php/local/24487-propose-dr-karan-singh-as-next-president-prof-bhim|title=Propose Dr. Karan Singh as next President: Prof. Bhim|website=JK Monitor|language=en-gb|access-date=2017-06-18}}</ref>

Karan Singh was born at the [[Martinez hotel|Martinez Hotel]],<ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|title=Karan Singh recalls his French Connection|url=https://www.netindian.in/news/people/karan-singh-recalls-his-french-connection|url-status=live|access-date=2021-05-22|website=NetIndian|language=en}}</ref> [[Cannes]], [[France]] into the [[Dogra dynasty]]. He was the only son of [[Maharaja Hari Singh]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/india/rajya-sabha-mp-karan-singh-slams-attempts-to-brand-hari-singh-as-communal-4495865/|title=Rajya Sabha MP Karan Singh slams attempts to brand Hari Singh as communal|date=28 January 2017}}</ref> the ruling Maharaja of [[Jammu and Kashmir (princely state)|Kingdom of Jammu and Kashmir]]. His mother, Maharani Tara Devi, who was the fourth wife of his father, was the daughter of a landowning [[Katoch]] [[Rajput]] family and came from [[Bijapur, Chhattisgarh|Bijapur]] (Vijaypur near [[Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh|Bilaspur]]) in [[Kangra district]] of [[Himachal Pradesh]].{{dubious|date=January 2020|reason=Bijapur is in Karnataka, not Himachal Pradesh, and not in Kangra District.}}{{citation needed|date=January 2020}}

*[[Yuvraj]] [[Vikramaditya Singh (politician)|Vikramaditya Singh]], elder son and crown prince; married [[Chitrangada Singh (Princess)|Chitrangada Scindia]], the daughter of [[Madhavrao Scindia]] of Gwalior, in 1987.<ref>[http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/history-came-to-life-at-the-wedding-of-chitrangada-raje-scindia-and-vikramaditya-singh/1/337885.html The Gwalior Royal Wedding] Event covered in India Today</ref>

* Jyotsna Singh, only daughter, married into a chauhan family belonging to [[Mainpuri]] in [[Uttar Pradesh]].

In 1949, at age of eighteen, Singh was appointed as the prince regent of [[Jammu and Kashmir (state)|Jammu and Kashmir]] state after his father stepped down as the ruler, following the state's accession to India.<ref>[http://jkrajbhawan.nic.in/His%20Excellency/present5.htm Dr. Karan Singh] Raj Bhawan, Jammu and Kashmir official website.</ref> From that point, he served successively as regent, the ''Sadr-i-Riyasat'', and the first governor of the state of Jammu and Kashmir from 1965 to 1967.

Karan Singh served as the chancellor of [[Banaras Hindu University]] for three terms up until 2018. In 2008, he awarded an honorary doctorate to the then prime minister [[Manmohan Singh]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Manmohan-Singh-awarded-honorary-doctorate-degree-by-BHU/articleshow/2868309.cms|title=Manmohan Singh awarded honorary doctorate degree by BHU {{!}} India News - Times of India|website=The Times of India|language=en|access-date=2020-02-22}}</ref> and in 2016, he was asked by university administration to award an honorary doctorate to prime minister [[Narendra Modi|Modi]], that the prime minister declined.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.business-standard.com/article/news-ians/modi-in-varanasi-visits-ravidas-temple-presents-medals-to-bhu-students-roundup-116022201162_1.html|title=Take pride in India's heritage, culture: PM Modi at BHU convocation ceremony|date=2016-02-23|work=Business Standard India|access-date=2020-02-22}}</ref>[[File:The Chancellor, Banaras Hindu University, Dr. Karan Singh presenting Honorary Doctorate Degree to the Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, at the ‘90th Convocation Ceremony’ in Varanasi on March 15, 2008.jpg|thumb|The Chancellor, Banaras Hindu University, Dr. Karan Singh presenting Honorary Doctorate Degree to the Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, at the '90th Convocation Ceremony' in Varanasi on 15 March 2008]]

"In 1974, I led the Indian delegation to the World Population Conference in Bucharest, where my statement that 'development is the best contraceptive' became widely known and oft quoted. I must admit that 20 years later I am inclined to reverse this, and my position now is that 'contraception is the best development'.”<ref>{{cite web|title=Quotations|url=https://www.populationmatters.org/making-case/quotations/|access-date=3 July 2014|website=populationmatters.org}}</ref>

[[Category:University of Delhi alumni]]