Charan Singh
Chaudhary Charan Singh | |
|---|---|
Official portrait, c. 1979 | |
| Prime Minister of India | |
| In office 28 July 1979 – 14 January 1980 | |
| President | Neelam Sanjiva Reddy |
| Vice President | B. D. Jatti Mohammad Hidayatullah |
| Deputy | Yashwantrao Chavan |
| Preceded by | Morarji Desai |
| Succeeded by | Indira Gandhi |
| Deputy Prime Minister of India | |
| In office 24 January 1979 – 16 July 1979 | |
| Prime Minister | Morarji Desai |
| Preceded by | Morarji Desai |
| Succeeded by | Yashwantrao Chavan |
| Union Minister of Finance | |
| In office 19 October 1979 – 14 January 1980 | |
| Prime Minister | Himself |
| Preceded by | Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna |
| Succeeded by | Ramaswamy Venkataraman |
| In office 24 January 1979 – 16 July 1979 | |
| Prime Minister | Morarji Desai |
| Preceded by | H. M. Patel |
| Succeeded by | Hemvati Nandan Bahuguna |
| Union Minister of Home Affairs | |
| In office 24 March 1977 – 1 July 1978 | |
| Prime Minister | Morarji Desai |
| Preceded by | Kasu Brahmananda Reddy |
| Succeeded by | Morarji Desai |
| Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh | |
| In office 18 February 1970 – 1 October 1970 | |
| Governor | Bezawada Gopala Reddy |
| Preceded by | Chandra Bhanu Gupta |
| Succeeded by | President's rule |
| In office 3 April 1967 – 25 February 1968 | |
| Governor | Bishwanath Das Bezawada Gopala Reddy |
| Preceded by | Chandra Bhanu Gupta |
| Succeeded by | President's rule |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Chaudhary Charan Singh 23 December 1902 Noorpur, United Provinces of Agra and Oudh, British India (present-day Uttar Pradesh, India) |
| Died | 29 May 1987 (aged 84) New Delhi, Delhi, India |
| Monuments | Kisan Ghat |
| Political party | Lokdal (own party; 1979–1984) |
| Other political affiliations | Indian National Congress (before 1967) Bharatiya Kranti Dal (own party; 1967–1974) Bharatiya Lok Dal (own party; 1974-1977) Janata Party (1977–1979) Janata Party (Secular) (1979–1980) Dalit Mazdoor Kisan Party (own party;1984-19) |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 6; including Ajit Singh |
| Education | Bachelor of Science (1923), Masters of Arts (1925), Bachelor of Laws (1927) |
| Alma mater | Agra University |
| Nickname | Chaudhary Sahab |
Chaudhary Charan Singh (23 December 1902 – 29 May 1987) was an Indian politician, peasant leader, author and an independence activist who briefly served as the prime minister of India from July 1979 to January 1980. Singh was principally known for his land and agricultural reform initiatives, and was Member of Parliament (MP) for Baghpat. During his premiership, he was a member of the Janata Party (Secular). He served as the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh as a member of Bhartiya Kranti Dal. He also briefly served as the deputy prime minister of India from January 1979 to July 1979 as a member of the Janata Party. Singh is widely regarded as the "Champion of Farmers", dedicated to advocating for the well being and rights of farmers.
Singh was born in Meerut district, United Provinces of Agra and Oudh. He graduated from Agra College in 1923 with a Bachelor of Science degree, and then pursued Master of Arts in history in 1925. In 1927 he completed his Bachelor of Laws (LLB) from Meerut College.
Singh entered politics as a part of Indian independence movement motivated by Mahatma Gandhi. Singh followed Gandhi in non-violent struggle for independence from the British Government, and was imprisoned several times. In 1930, he was sent to jail for 12 years by the British for contravention of the salt laws. He was jailed again for one year in November 1940 for individual Satyagraha movement. In August 1942 he was jailed again by the British under DIR and released in November 1943. He was a Congress member for most of his life, he later founded his own Lok Dal party. He is the first leader outside the Indian National Congress who formed government in northern India and became the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh. He was posthumously awarded the Bharat Ratna in 2024.