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In memory of our Chairmen H.S. Singhania |
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In memory of our Chairman
H.S. Singhania
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Memorial Note
Mr Hari Shankar Singhania, Chairman of the Governing Board of Population Foundation of India (PFI), passed away on February
22 at his residence in New Delhi. He was 79 years old.
Mr Singhania, a leading industrialist and President of JK Organization, was associated with PFI for 27 years. He became a
member of the governing board in 1986, and was elected as its Vice Chairman in 1996, and Chairman in 2007. He took a keen
interest in the management and functioning of PFI. He never missed a meeting of the Governing Board and attended most of
the regional meetings that the foundation organized – a testimony to his commitment to the issues and work of the
organization.
Believing that family planning could contribute in an important way to the health and development of the country, Mr
Singhania ensured that family planning and reproductive health services were an integral part of the welfare measures taken by
JK Lakshmi Cement and JK Tyre for the communities around their factories and facilities. Women’s empowerment and adult
literacy and education were also issues close to his heart and an integral part of the JK Organisations' social work.
Mr Singhania led various industry chambers and councils in India, and was President of the International Chamber of
Commerce, Paris, in 1993-94. He served as the chairman of the Indian Institute of Management-Lucknow for 15 years.
In 2003, he was honoured with the Padma Bhushan by the President of India for his contribution to commerce and industry.
And in 2005, Sweden conferred on him its highest award, the Royal Order of the Polar Star, for his contribution to the
development of Indo-Swedish business ties.
His various speeches and articles were recently brought out in a book – On the Pathways of Development, which has a
foreword written by the President of India, Pranab Mukherjee.
Mr Singhania was known for his simplicity. We are told that he was an avid photographer and gardener.
Deeply concerned with the fact that a large number of Indians were below the poverty line, he is reported to have said: “One
should accept that economic development is for the people, for the society at large, and the consumer in particular. Above all,
in a country where nearly half the population lives below poverty line, overall growth by itself is not enough. It must find
meaningful expression in the day-to-day life of the common man. Emphasis should be on addressing the unemployment issue
and create jobs in both urban and rural areas, and on rural development.”
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He strove for excellence in everything he did and said: “Excellence comes not from mere words but from an urge to strive and
deliver the best every time. It is a mindset that comes from a drive within.”
The country will miss him, and we at PFI in particular. In January this year he sent the PFI Executive Director a note wishing
the entire staff and their families a happy new year.
Did he have a premonition that this would be the last New Year he would be wishing the staff? We believe he did. For in that
note he wrote, “Human development and in particular development of mother and child health has assumed increasing
importance in India’s economic, social and political agenda. PFI has been playing a crucial role in this direction. Its
responsibility and contribution will become even more important in future. I am confident that under your leadership PFI will
fulfill its obligations towards society.”
We at PFI will miss him and the direction and leadership he provided.
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PFI’s governing board remembers Mr. Singhania
It is with very great sorrow that I have received the sad news about the demise of Shri Hari Shankar
Singhania. He was a wonderful person, full of concern for the progress of our country. Kindly convey to
the bereaved family my sincere condolences and my prayers for the peace of his departed soul.
-- Prof. M.S. Swaminathan
I feel a great void at the passing away of Hari Shakarji. A great captain of industry in India, a leader of
men and women and a person who has created a vast number of leaders in various fields – all this he
was and we look up to him and admire him for his achievements. However, what has always touched
me about this great person was his genuine interest in all my activities and my family, his unfailing grace
and courtesy and his curiosity of mind. I shall miss him greatly.
-- Prof. Ranjit Roy Chaudhury
Mr. Hari Shankar Singhania’s death is a great loss both to humanity and PFI. He was an extremely
courteous and generous person with a spirit of detachment. He led PFI from strength to strength and
we will miss him. My heartfelt condolences to the family.
-- Justice (Retd.) Leila Seth
The sad news of Hari Shankarji’s demise was really shocking. However inevitable death may be, such a
message always is upsetting. Hari Shankarji lived a very purposeful life and has left a great legacy both
in his enterprise as well as in the PFI.
-- J.C. Pant
Simply shocked to learn from you of the passing away of our revered Chairman, Shri Hari Shankar
Singhania. Mr. Singhania was always chairing our Board meetings with such deep interest in the work of
PFI, as demonstrated through the penetrating queries highlighting important issues. We will miss his
guidance and leadership. Heartfelt condolences to the Singhania family.
-- Dr. Nina Puri
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Deeply shocked and grieved to learn of Hari Shankarji’s sudden passing. This is a huge and unexpected
blow to all his friends and the PFI which he steered for so many years. Please extend my heartfelt
condolences to the bereaved family. We share their loss.
-- Mr. B.G. Verghese
Sad news, please do convey my deepest condolences to his family.
-- Mr. Kiran Karnik
It is with great sorrow that I offer my condolences on the demise of Mr. Hari Shankar Singhania. Mr.
Singhania was a leader who, not only set an example as a fine business leader but also as one who
promoted health, education and development in his own factories and through his work at PFI.
-- Mr. Keshav Desiraju
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Some highlights of Mr. Singhania’s 27-year association
with PFI.
“Population stabilisation is not merely about numbers,
it has to be looked at in the context of wider socio-
economic development. We must carry forward even
more strongly the paradigm shift from family planning
and population control per se to the emphasis on
gender, rights and development...Clearly incentives and
disincentives for sterilisation are neither sustainable,
nor are they a solution.”
Roundtable Conference on Population Stablisation and
Related Development Issues in Madhya Pradesh held in
Bhopal, August 1-2, 1999.
Regional Conference on Population, Health and Social
Development in Bihar, Jharkhand, Orissa and West
Bengal held in Bhubaneswar, February 16-17,2010.
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“The approach towards stabilising population should be broad-based. It should, besides making
reproductive health services available, accessible and affordable, also increase the coverage and outreach
of primary and secondary education, extending basic amenities like sanitation, safe drinking water,
housing and empowering women with enhanced access to education and employment”
Mr. Singhania’s attention to detail was legendary!
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With Chandrashekhar at the second JRD Tata Memorial
Lecture, October 26, 1996.
Lighting the inaugural lamp, with Mr. Navin Patnaik, Chief
Minister of Odisha and Mr. A.R. Nanda, former Executive
Director, PFI at a regional conference in Bhubaneswar,
January 2005.
“If we have to derive the dividend or the demographic dividend as we call it, then we must accept that we
have really miles to go in developing the social sector. It is not that the government is unaware of the
challenges ahead, but the challenges are so stupendous that enough is not enough in this sector of social
development.”
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With former Speaker, Mr. Somnath Chatterjee at the 9th JRD
Tata Memorial Oration, March 30, 2005.
“Large numbers of girls are
missing; this is not just due to
the easy technology of
ultrasound and abortion
facilities that are available,
but also due to the deep-
rooted social and cultural
norms of this country that we
have been following for
generations,
Even the
education and elite class
dislikes the girl-child, rather
they want a boy and a small
family.”
With Dr. Syeda Hameed, Member Planning Commission, at
a Regional Conference on Population, Health &
Development in Chattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar
Pradesh and Uttarakhand in Lucknow, August 18-19, 2010.
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National Conference on Population, Health, Social
Development: Experience of the Southern States, in
Hyderabad, February 12-13, 2007
Release of the Social Development Index, March 22, 2007
“PFI has advocated for political commitment
in implementing family planning and
reproductive health programmes with leaders
like Mrs. Indira Gandhi, Mr. Fakruddin Ali
Ahmed and Mr. I.K. Gujral. The foundation is
equally focussed on the community’s needs,
participation by the people and ownership by
them in building capacities to take charge of
their health status”
“If we look at the relatively poor state of
affairs with respect to quality of our human
capital, then the message that comes out loud
and clear is that there is a huge unfinished job
with respect to upliftment of human capital,
which is possible only when we put the right
emphasis on development of the social
sector.”
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With Mr. K. Radhakumar Singh, District Collector, Thoubal,
Manipur, Nobel Laureate Prof. Amartya Sen and Prof. Vinay
Bharat Ram, Member PFI’s Governing Board.
With Poonam Muttreja, Executive Director, PFI and Prof.
Amartya Sen
At his last public function organised by PFI – The 12th JRD Tata Memorial Oration and the 5th JRD
Memorial Awards on July 31, 2012.
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“The concept of Corporate Social Responsibility may have
found increased recognition only recently but the corporate
sector in India has a long history of commitment to social
philanthropy – thanks to the belief that the creation of wealth
is primarily geared for social good.”
MR. HARI SHANKAR SINGHANIA
June 20, 1933 – February 22, 2013