L. M. Singhvi
Encyclopedia
L. M. Singhvi लक्ष्मीमल सिंघवी (November 9, 1931 – October 6, 2007) was a, India
n jurist, parliamentarian, constitutional expert, scholar, distinguished diplomat. He was the longest-serving High Commissioner
for India in the United Kingdom
(1991–97)
He was conferred Padma Bhushan
in 1998.
, Singhvi was a member of the Third Lok Sabha
from 1962-67 from Jodhpur
as an Independent and Advocate General of State of Rajasthan
from 1972-77. He was, after VK Krishna Menon, the longest-serving High Commissioner
for India in the United Kingdom
from 1991-97. He was elected to Rajya Sabha
(1998–2004) as a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party
(BJP),. and was Chairman of High Level Committee on Indian Diaspora. He wrote many books such as A Tale of three cities, Bharat or Hamara Samay, Jain Temple and a few in Hindi
as well.
A linguist and a prolific author, Singhvi was also a well acknowledged scholar of Jain history and culture, remained president of the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts. He spearheaded the Indian delegation to the United Nations
conference on Human Rights in Vienna in 1993, was a member of the Permanent Court of Arbitration
at The Hague
, and gave the 1993 Rede Lecture
at the University of Cambridge
on 'A Tale of Three Cities'. He had conceptualised the idea of holding ‘Pravasi Bharatiya Divas’ to promote interaction with non-resident Indians.
His contribution to the country has come to light in the context of the movement for the introduction of the Lokpal bill. It was him who had mooted the idea of the Lokpal bill way back in the 1960s based on his study on the Ombudsman's role in the Scandinavian countries. It is said that he, at the behest of Nehru coined the term Lokpal.
He died on October 6, 2007, following a brief illness, in New Delhi
, and is survived by his wife and two children.
, Senior Advocate, Former Addl. Solicitor General of India, and later a politician from Indian National Congress
, and daughter Abhilasha Singhvi, a qualified lawyer, is engaged in humanitarian service as Managing Trustee of Manav Seva Sannidhi. His grandchildren are Anubhav Singhvi and Avishkar Singhvi, and Astha and Nishtha Lalbhai.
by Govt. of India, and an honorary degree of LLD
by the University of Buckingham
.
held the 'First Dr. L.M. Singhvi memorial lecture on ‘Law, Technology and Society: Its dynamics’ on January 17, 2009, delivered by Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, Former President of India.
Using a bequest by the Trustees of the British Indian Golden Jubilee Banquet Fund, "Dr L M Singhvi Visiting Fellowship" is given out by University of Wales
and 'Centre of South Asian Studies', University of Cambridge
, for visiting student and scholars of Indian nationality.
The School of Constitutional Law has been named after Dr. L.M Singhvi at the National Law University
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n jurist, parliamentarian, constitutional expert, scholar, distinguished diplomat. He was the longest-serving High Commissioner
High Commissioner
High Commissioner is the title of various high-ranking, special executive positions held by a commission of appointment.The English term is also used to render various equivalent titles in other languages.-Bilateral diplomacy:...
for India in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
(1991–97)
He was conferred Padma Bhushan
Padma Bhushan
The Padma Bhushan is the third highest civilian award in the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna and the Padma Vibhushan, but comes before the Padma Shri. It is awarded by the Government of India.-History:...
in 1998.
Career
Senior Advocate, Supreme Court of IndiaSupreme Court of India
The Supreme Court of India is the highest judicial forum and final court of appeal as established by Part V, Chapter IV of the Constitution of India...
, Singhvi was a member of the Third Lok Sabha
Lok Sabha
The Lok Sabha or House of the People is the lower house of the Parliament of India. Members of the Lok Sabha are elected by direct election under universal adult suffrage. As of 2009, there have been fifteen Lok Sabhas elected by the people of India...
from 1962-67 from Jodhpur
Jodhpur (Lok Sabha Constituency)
Jodhpur Lok Sabha constituency is one of the 25 Lok Sabha constituencies in Rajasthan state in India.-Assembly segments:Presently, Jodhpur Lok Sabha constituency comprises eight Vidhan Sabha segments...
as an Independent and Advocate General of State of Rajasthan
Rajasthan
Rājasthān the land of Rajasthanis, , is the largest state of the Republic of India by area. It is located in the northwest of India. It encompasses most of the area of the large, inhospitable Great Indian Desert , which has an edge paralleling the Sutlej-Indus river valley along its border with...
from 1972-77. He was, after VK Krishna Menon, the longest-serving High Commissioner
High Commissioner
High Commissioner is the title of various high-ranking, special executive positions held by a commission of appointment.The English term is also used to render various equivalent titles in other languages.-Bilateral diplomacy:...
for India in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
from 1991-97. He was elected to Rajya Sabha
Rajya Sabha
The Rajya Sabha or Council of States is the upper house of the Parliament of India. Rajya means "state," and Sabha means "assembly hall" in Sanskrit. Membership is limited to 250 members, 12 of whom are chosen by the President of India for their expertise in specific fields of art, literature,...
(1998–2004) as a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party
Bharatiya Janata Party
The Bharatiya Janata Party ,; translation: Indian People's Party) is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Indian National Congress. Established in 1980, it is India's second largest political party in terms of representation in the parliament...
(BJP),. and was Chairman of High Level Committee on Indian Diaspora. He wrote many books such as A Tale of three cities, Bharat or Hamara Samay, Jain Temple and a few in Hindi
Hindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
as well.
A linguist and a prolific author, Singhvi was also a well acknowledged scholar of Jain history and culture, remained president of the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts. He spearheaded the Indian delegation to the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
conference on Human Rights in Vienna in 1993, was a member of the Permanent Court of Arbitration
Permanent Court of Arbitration
The Permanent Court of Arbitration , is an international organization based in The Hague in the Netherlands.-History:The court was established in 1899 as one of the acts of the first Hague Peace Conference, which makes it the oldest institution for international dispute resolution.The creation of...
at The Hague
The Hague
The Hague is the capital city of the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. With a population of 500,000 inhabitants , it is the third largest city of the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam...
, and gave the 1993 Rede Lecture
Rede Lecture
The Sir Robert Rede's Lecturer is an annual appointment to give a public lecture, the Sir Robert Rede's Lecture at the University of Cambridge. It is named for Sir Robert Rede, who was Chief Justice of the Common Pleas in the sixteenth century.-Initial series:The initial series of lectures ranges...
at the University of Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
on 'A Tale of Three Cities'. He had conceptualised the idea of holding ‘Pravasi Bharatiya Divas’ to promote interaction with non-resident Indians.
His contribution to the country has come to light in the context of the movement for the introduction of the Lokpal bill. It was him who had mooted the idea of the Lokpal bill way back in the 1960s based on his study on the Ombudsman's role in the Scandinavian countries. It is said that he, at the behest of Nehru coined the term Lokpal.
He died on October 6, 2007, following a brief illness, in New Delhi
New Delhi
New Delhi is the capital city of India. It serves as the centre of the Government of India and the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. New Delhi is situated within the metropolis of Delhi. It is one of the nine districts of Delhi Union Territory. The total area of the city is...
, and is survived by his wife and two children.
Personal life
Dr. Singhvi was married to Hindi author, Shrimati Kamla Baid. His son is Abhishek Manu SinghviAbhishek Manu Singhvi
Abhishek Manu Singhvi is an Indian politician belonging to Indian National Congress party and is presently a Member of the Parliament of India representing Rajasthan in the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Indian Parliament...
, Senior Advocate, Former Addl. Solicitor General of India, and later a politician from Indian National Congress
Indian National Congress
The Indian National Congress is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Bharatiya Janata Party. It is the largest and one of the oldest democratic political parties in the world. The party's modern liberal platform is largely considered center-left in the Indian...
, and daughter Abhilasha Singhvi, a qualified lawyer, is engaged in humanitarian service as Managing Trustee of Manav Seva Sannidhi. His grandchildren are Anubhav Singhvi and Avishkar Singhvi, and Astha and Nishtha Lalbhai.
Awards and recognition
In 1993, Dr Singhvi was awarded the Padma BhushanPadma Bhushan
The Padma Bhushan is the third highest civilian award in the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna and the Padma Vibhushan, but comes before the Padma Shri. It is awarded by the Government of India.-History:...
by Govt. of India, and an honorary degree of LLD
Legum Doctor
Legum Doctor is a doctorate-level academic degree in law, or an honorary doctorate, depending on the jurisdiction. The double L in the abbreviation refers to the early practice in the University of Cambridge to teach both Canon Law and Civil Law, the double L indicating the plural, Doctor of both...
by the University of Buckingham
University of Buckingham
The University of Buckingham is an independent, non-sectarian, research and teaching university located in Buckingham, Buckinghamshire, England, on the banks of the River Great Ouse. It was originally founded as Buckingham University College in the 1970s and received its Royal Charter from the...
.
Legacy
The Supreme Court of IndiaSupreme Court of India
The Supreme Court of India is the highest judicial forum and final court of appeal as established by Part V, Chapter IV of the Constitution of India...
held the 'First Dr. L.M. Singhvi memorial lecture on ‘Law, Technology and Society: Its dynamics’ on January 17, 2009, delivered by Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, Former President of India.
Using a bequest by the Trustees of the British Indian Golden Jubilee Banquet Fund, "Dr L M Singhvi Visiting Fellowship" is given out by University of Wales
University of Wales
The University of Wales was a confederal university founded in 1893. It had accredited institutions throughout Wales, and formerly accredited courses in Britain and abroad, with over 100,000 students, but in October 2011, after a number of scandals, it withdrew all accreditation, and it was...
and 'Centre of South Asian Studies', University of Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
, for visiting student and scholars of Indian nationality.
The School of Constitutional Law has been named after Dr. L.M Singhvi at the National Law University
National Law University, Jodhpur
National Law University, Jodhpur is an autonomous law university in India. The Institute offers under-graduate and post-graduate courses in various streams of law.The degrees offered at the under-graduate level are;* B.B.A,LL.B. * B.A.,LL.B....
External links
- Profile of M. L. Singhvi
- Obituary in The TimesThe TimesThe Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
, 18 October 2007.