Natwar Singh, a prominent Congress leader and former Foreign Minister, passed away late Saturday night at the age of 95. Singh had been ailing for some time and was receiving treatment at Medanta Hospital in Gurugram.
His son, MLA Jagat Singh, and other family members were with him during his final moments.
Born on May 16, 1929, in Jaghina village in Rajasthan’s Bharatpur district, Natwar Singh was the fourth son of Govind Singh and Prayag Kaur. He completed his early education at Mayo College in Ajmer and Scindia School in Gwalior. Singh then graduated from St. Stephen’s College, Delhi, and furthered his studies at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge University. He also spent time as a visiting scholar at Peking University in China.
In 1953, Singh joined the Indian Foreign Services (IFS) and had a distinguished career, serving in various countries, including China, New York, Poland, England, Pakistan, Jamaica, and Zambia. After three decades of service, Singh resigned from the IFS in 1984 to enter politics, joining the Congress party. That same year, he contested in the 8th Lok Sabha elections and was appointed as Minister of State.
Singh’s contributions to Indian diplomacy and politics will be remembered as a significant chapter in the country’s history.