Quick Facts
Biography
Harsh Dev Singh is an Indian politician. He became the Chairman of the Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party in 2012. Under his tenure as the Minister of Education of Jammu and Kashmir, English became a compulsory language from first grade.
Harsh Dev is a leading proponent of secular values in his state torn by the terrorist insurgency in Jammu and Kashmir.
Early life
His father was Thakur Das who passed away in 1996 the year Harsh Dev Singh won his first Legislative Assembly election.
Harsh Dev Singh graduated from Sainik School Nagrota in 1977. He earned a Bachelor's in Commerce followed by a Masters in English from Jammu University in 1982. He returned to Jammu University to earn a Bachelors of Law in 1991.
Career
Member of Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly
Harsh Dev Singh has won three elections from the Ramnagar constituency and served as a member of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly continuously for 18 years from 1996 till 2014. In his first term he received the Best Legislator Award.
Minister of Education, 2002
Harsh Dev Singh was sworn in as the minister of education after the 2002 Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly elections. He was the first ever cabinet minister from the Panthers Party.
Under Harsh Dev, English became the compulsory language from first grade in all government schools. In his term as education minister the government opened 22 new degree colleges. Prior to which 32 colleges had been established in a 100 years time. They also opened 10,000 new schools.
To deal with teaching staff shortages in remote areas, Harsh Dev moved 2,800 teachers from cities back to their original rural postings.
Chairman of Panthers Party, 2012
Bhim Singh who had been the Chairman of the Panthers Party for 30 years nominated Harsh Dev Singh to the position on 27 November 2012 to coincide with the 65th anniversary of the Instrument of Accession signed between the Maharaja and India.
Dogra Heritage
He has called for the recognition of Dogra heritage and the Dogri language citing the stable governance it once provided the nation under the Maharaja from 1846 to 1947 when the Kashmir conflict based on religious differences broke out in the state.
Personal life
His uncle Bhim Singh is founder of the Panthers Party. His cousin Balwant Singh is the state President of the Panthers Party and his cousin Ankit Love is the leader of the One Love Party in Great Britain.