Gyani Zail Singh Biography - Birth date, Achievements, Career, Family, Awards

Giani Zail Singh was born on 05 May 1916 in Sandhwan village of Faridkot district of Punjab province. His real name was Jarnail Singh. His father's name was Kishan Singh and mother's name was Indra Kaur. His father used to reduce carpentry in the village and mother was a duodenum. His mother passed away in Zail Singh's childhood. He was raised under maternal aunt care.

Giani Zail Singh died on 25 December 1994 (age 78 years) in Chandigarh, India. He died in a car accident, due to which he suffered injuries and was admitted to the hospital, but he died on his own at the time of treatment and died. The Government of India announced an official mourning of seven days after his death and he was cremated at the Rajghat Memorial in Delhi.

Giani Zail Singh belongs to Sikhism, his name was not known from the beginning, he was given the title of Gyani due to being educated. He had a degree from Shaheed Sikh Missionary College, Ambala.

At the age of 15, he joined the Akali Dal working against the British government, in 1938 he formed a political party called Praja Mandal which used to join the anti-British movement in association with the Indian Congress. Became Minister of Agriculture in 1951. From 3 April 1956 to 10 March 1962, he was a member of the Rajya Sabha. Giani Zail Singh was also a member of the Rajya Sabha from 1956 to 1962. Zel Singh was elected as the Congress Chief Minister of Punjab in 1972. He organized mass religious ceremonies, began public functions with a public Sikh prayer, inaugurated a highway named after Guru Govind Singh, and named a township after the Guru's son.

He created a lifetime pension scheme for the freedom fighters of the state. He re-published Udham Singh's remains, armory and articles of Guru Gobind Singh from London. When Indira Gandhi came back to power in the year 1980, she appointed Gyani Ji as the Home Minister of the country. On 25 July 1982, Giani Zail Singh was elected the first Sikh President of the country. It was during his tenure that 'Operation Blue Star' and Prime Minister Indira Gandhi were killed in the Golden Temple complex in Amritsar.

On September 12, 1982, during the Catholic Platinum Jubilee celebrations held at Kottayam Nehru Stadium, Zail Singh was bestowed by Catholics at the Catholic Platinum Jubilee Ceremony of the Order of St. Thomas (the highest honor given by the Orthodox Church of India). In 1995, a commemorative postage stamp was issued by the Postal Department of India on the occasion of Singh's first death anniversary.