Charan Singh

Chaudhary Charan Singh
Official portrait, 1979
5th Prime Minister of India
In office 28 July 1979 – 20 August 1979 (caretaker: 21 August 1979 – 14 January 1980)
President	Neelam Sanjiva Reddy
Deputy	Yashwantrao Chavan
Preceded by	Morarji Desai
Succeeded by	Indira Gandhi
3rd Deputy Prime Minister of India
In office 24 January 1979 – 16 July 1979 Serving with Jagjivan Ram
Prime Minister	Morarji Desai
Preceded by	Morarji Desai
Succeeded by	Yashwantrao Chavan
Union Minister of Finance
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
5th Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh
In office 18 February 1970 – 1 October 1970
Preceded by	Chandra Bhanu Gupta
Succeeded by	President's rule
In office 3 April 1967 – 25 February 1968
Preceded by	Chandra Bhanu Gupta
Succeeded by	President's rule
Personal details
Born	Chaudhary Charan Singh (1902-12-23)23 December 1902 Noorpur, United Provinces of Agra and Oudh, British India (present-day Uttar Pradesh, India)
Died	29 May 1987(1987-05-29) (aged 84) New Delhi, Delhi, India
Monuments	Kisan Ghat
Political party	Lokdal (own party; 1979–1987)
Other political affiliations	Indian National Congress (before 1967) Bharatiya Kranti Dal (own party; 1967–1977) Janata Party (1977–1979) Janata Party (Secular) (1979–1980)
Spouse	Gayatri Devi ​ (m. 1925)​
Children	6; including Ajit Singh
Education	Bachelor of Science (1923), Masters of Arts (1925), Bachelor of Laws (1927)
Alma mater	Agra University
Awards	Bharat Ratna (2024)

Chaudhary Charan Singh (23 December 1902 – 29 May 1987), better known as Charan Singh was an Indian politician and a freedom fighter. Singh was principally known for his land and agricultural reform initiatives. He briefly served as the 5th prime minister of India from July 1979 to August 1979 and was Member of Parliament (MP) for Baghpat. During prime ministership he was a member of the Janata Party (Secular). He served as 5th Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh as a member of Bhartiya Kranti Dal. He also briefly served as 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", after his life has been dedicated to advocating for the wellbeing and rights of farmers.^[1]

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 he did Master of Arts in history in 1925. In 1927 he did Bachelor of Laws (LLB) from Meerut College. Then they shifted to Bulandshahr district of present day Uttar Pradesh after their downfall due to Raja Nahar Sigh Ballabhgarh opposition to the British during the Indian Rebellion of 1857.

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.^[2][3] He is the first leader outside the Indian National Congress who formed government in the northern India and became 5th chief minister of Uttar Pradesh.^[4] He was awarded with the Bharat Ratna in 2024.^[1]