s. of S. Hardit Singh; b. at Panjwar Village, Amritsar, August 6, 1915; ed. at Government College, 1935 (Punjab) and University Law College (LL.B. 1st Division), Lahore, 1937; Honoris Causa doctorates conferred by : (i) LL.D.—Punjab University, Chandigarh 1969, Punjabi University, Patiala 1971 and Kurukeshetra University (Haryana) in 1973; (ii) D.Litt. by G.N.D. University, Amritsar, 1971; (iii) Pol. Sc. Humbolt University, Germany, 1973; (iv) Ph.D. Sung Kayum Kwang University, Korea, 1973. m. Smt. Ranbir Kaur, 1954. Lawyer, Journalist, small farmer & orchardist; Freedom-fighter—awarded Tamra Patra. Deputy Speaker 1952-54 and Speaker, Vidhan Sabha “1954-62 and Cabinet Minister 1964-66, Punjab. Speaker, Lok Sabha, 1969-75; Union Cabinet Minister of Transport and Shipping 1975-77; High Commissioner in Canada, 1980-82; Union Cabinet Minister of Agriculture since 12 May, 1986; Member, Planning Commission from 25  June,   1986.

President, District Congress Committee, Amritsar, 1948-53; G.O.C. Punjab Congress Seva Dal, 1952-54; Member, Punjab P.C.C. Executive Committee, 1949-54; Member A.I.C.C. since 1964 and Central Election Committee and Parliamentary Board, 1977-81; Permanent Invitee to A.I.C.C. Working Committee, 1977-81; Chairman, A.I.C.C. Disciplinary Action Committee, 1978-80. Member : (i) Steering Committee, Con­gress Centenary Celebrations, 1984-86 and Chairman, Three-Member Committee to write history of associated freedom movements; (ii) Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee, 1945-54; Chairman, Mar­ket Committee Taran Taran, 1948-52; President, (i) Dr. Zakir Hussain Educational and Cultural Foundation, (ii) Institute of Constitutional and Parliamentary Studies, 1969-75; (iii) National Rifle Association of India for some years; Chairman Trust Sub-Committee and Managing Committee Jallianwala Bagh National   Memorial Trust,   1973-81.

Member, Syndicate and Senate, (i) Punjab University Chandigarh since 1956 todate,  (ii)  G.N.D. University, Amritsar,  1971-78 and  1985-86;  (iii)   Punjabi University Patiala,   1968-69,   (iv)   Dean Faculty of Law and Chairman Board Studies in    Law,    Punjab    University, Chandigarh 1974-81   and     1984-86.    Editor :   daily     ‘Vartman’     (Punjabi)   and  daily Sher-i-Bharat’ (Urdu), 1948-52; Managing Director, National Sikhs News­papers   Ltd.   1948-52;      President,   Journalists   Association,   Amritsar   and Member,   Executive   Committee,   Punjab Journalists  Association   1948-51;     -One of the founding members of Indian Federation of Working Journa­lists   1950; Member Press Advisory Committee, Punjab, 1948-51; Member three—member Committee to nominate members of Press Council of India for two years;    Member Panchayat Samiti and District Board,   1948-52; Member,   Punjab  Legislative   Assembly,   1952-67;   General   Secretary  and Chief Whip, Congress Legislature Party Punjab,  1965-67; Chairman Pub­lic Accounts Committee,   1952-54.    Leader Praja Tantra Congress, 1963-64;   Member Fourth Lok Sabha  1967-70 and Fifth Lok Sabha,  1971-77; Chairman, Committee on Public Undertakings,  1968-69; attended several Commonwealth   Parliamentary   Association   Conferences   from    1957-77; Regional representative for Asia on the Executive Committee of C.P.A. Elected Vice-President in London  in 1973  and President  in Colombo in 1974;  Presided over the  C.P.A. Conference in   1975, Presided over the 57th Inter-Parliamentary Union Conference in 1969 and remained on its Executive Committee for some    years;    elected acting    President of the I.P.U. Council in Geneva in 1973 and re-elected as its President in Tokyo in 1974 for another term till 1976;    attended the First    Commonwealth Speakers’ Conference in Ottawa (Canada)  in 1969 and presided over the same Conference in December-January, 1970-71; Chairman of the Stand­ing Committee of Commonwealth Speakers,   1971-74;    Chairman Confe­rence of Presiding Officers of Legislative Bodies of India; Attended     17 such annual Conferences presiding over 7; President, Indian C.P.A. and I.P.U.   Groups   of   Parliament,   1969-77;   led   several   delegations abroad; Awarded   the   medallion   of   the   Parliament   of   Canada!   in    1973   and honoured by many other Parliaments, Leader, Indian Delegation to 41st and 42nd Sessions of United Nations Commission on Human Rights    in Geneva in 1985 and 1986.

Social and other activities : Heading or promoting many social, library and cultural, farming and educational organisations and academic bodies; Presided over the 4th Indian Agriculture! Congress at Shillong; elected President, Confederation of Agriculture, 1986; served on Board of Governors on Indian Council of Agricultural Research 1967-68; Member, Governing Body of Indian Council of Cultural Relations at present—Member of National Committee on National Martyrs’ Memorial (Hussainwala); Member, Association of Indian Diplomats.

Special interests: Promotion of higher education, rural sports, recreation and social service.

Travels abroad ;     Except  a few countries, extensively travelled  all over the world.Permanent address  : Parsannama  : M-4, Green Avenue,    Amritsar-143 001,    Punjab  (Tel. Nos. 64077, 63547).

Delhi address  : 3, Tyagaraja Marg,   New Delhi-110 011   (Tel. Nos. ;    381129—Office    3010646, 3010704—Res.)