Visionary Indian Statesman, Cultural Ambassador, Karan Singh was born on March 9, 1931, in Cannes, France, to the last ruler of the princely state of Kashmir and Jammu (also known as The Royal House of Jammu and Kashmir), Maharaja Hari Singh and his wife Maharani Tara Devi. He was educated at Doon School, Dehra Dun, and received a B.A. from Sri Pratap Singh (S. P.) College, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir University, and an M.A. in Political Science from Delhi University. He went on to receive a Ph.D. from Delhi University. In 1949, at age of eighteen, he was appointed as the regent of Jammu and Kashmir state after his father stepped down as the king, following the state’s accession to India. He served successively as regent, Sadr-i-Riyasat and governor of the state of Jammu and Kashmir from 1965-1967. He was then, successively, Union Minister for Tourism and Civil Aviation from 1967-1973, Minister of Health and Family Planning from 1973-1977 and Minister of Education and Culture in 1979-1980. In 1990-1991, he served as Indian Ambassador to the US. From 1967-1980, and in 1990, Karan Singh served as an MP in the Lok Sabha; since 1996, he has been an MP in the Rajya Sabha. He served as Chancellor of Banaras Hindu University, Jammu and Kashmir University, and Jawaharlal Nehru University. He is an active member of several boards, organizations, and foundations, including the Author’s Guild of India, the Iccr, the Auroville Foundation, the Indian Board of Wildlife, and several others. Presently, Karan Singh is Chairman of the Aicc Foreign Department. In 1956, he married Princess Yasho Rajya Lakshmi (1937-2009), the granddaughter of Maharaja Sir Mohan Shamsher Jang Bahadur Rana, the last Rana Prime Minister of Nepal from the Rana dynasty of Nepal.

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