PTU founder VC no more

Roopinder Singh

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 8

Anup Singh, founding Vice-Chancellor of Punjab Technical University; a former Secretary, Ministry of Railways; and Member (Mechanical Engineering) in the Indian Railway Board, is no more. An erudite presence in Delhi and Chandigarh, he continued to serve various organisations in professional and social capacities till he passed away in New Delhi on January 4. He was 84.

The eldest son of late Sardar Bahadur Karnail Singh, former Chairman, Indian Railway Board, Anup Singh too served the Indian Railways for 41 years, before he superannuated in 1989. In the Indian Railways, he held senior managerial positions, including Chief Mechanical Engineer and later General Manager of the South-Eastern Railway, Calcutta.

During his tenure in the Railway Board, he was responsible for the planning and setting up of the Rail Coach Factory, Kapurthala, and Diesel Component Works at Patiala, in addition to coordinating the production, overhaul and maintenance activities for the Railways Mechanical Department.

After retirement he was also nominated to the Board of Governors of the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi and Kanpur, by the Ministry of Human Resource Development. He was also a member of the board of directors of Air India and several industrial houses, including the Thapar Group, Escorts, UB Group and HLL.

In 1996, he was appointed the first Vice-Chancellor of Punjab Technical University, Jalandhar. A keen golfer, he was deeply interested in Indian classical music and dance. He was active in various Sikh organisations such as Institute of Sikh Studies, Chandigarh, International Sikh Confederation, Chandigarh, and United Sikhs.

He is survived by his wife, Sarabjit Kaur, children and grandchildren. The bhog is scheduled to be held in Delhi on January 10.