BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES

DUGGAL, SHRI KARTAR SINGH

M.A. (English), Honours (Punjabi); Nominated; s. of Sardar Jiwan Singh Duggal and Sardarni Satwant Kaur; b. at Village Dhamial (Rawalpindi), March 1, 1917; ed. at Forman Christian College, Lahore; m. Dr. (Shrimati) Ayesha Duggal, January 1, 1948; 1 s. and 1 d.

Writer; wrote and produced programmes in Punjabi, Hindi, Urdu and English for All India Radio; author of a large number of plays and drama-producer of eminence; was President, (i) Punjabi Lekhak Sabha, Delhi, (ii) Punjab Sahitya Akademi, Chandigarh and (iii) Indo-Bulgarian Literary Club; was Deputy Editor-in-Chief, Lotus, an organ of Afro-Asian Writers' Association, published in English, French and Arabic; worked in All India Radio from 1942-66 in various capacities; was Station Director, All India Radio; Secretary/Director, National Book Trust, India, 1966-73; Adviser (Information), Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, attached to the Planning Commission, 1973-76; was Founder Member, (i) Raja Rammohun Roy Library Foundation; Founder Member, (i) Institute of Social and Economic Change, Bangalore and (ii) Zakir Husain Educational Foundation; was Member, (i) Media Advisory Committee, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, (ii) National Book Development Council, Ministry of Human Resource Development, (iii) Hindi Samiti, Ministry of Home Affairs, (iv) Punjab Arts Council and (v) North Zone Cultural Centre; Member, Executive Council, National Academy of Letters; President, Punjabi Sahitya Sabha, Delhi; serving on the Advisory Board of Yoga International, U.S.A. and Man and Development; nominated Fellow of the Punjabi University in 1984; nominated to the Rajya Sabha in August, 1997.

Travels abroad : Russia, Europe, U.K., U.S.A., North Korea, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Tunisia and Bulgaria.

Accomplishment in arts and science: Honoured with (i) Ghalib Award for Urdu Drama by Ghalib Academy, 1976, (ii) Soviet Land Nehru Award, 1981 for totality of creative writing and contribution to world peace, (iii) Fellowship by Punjabi Sahitya Academy, 1983, (iv) Mohan Singh Vaid Award for Autobiography, 1986, (v) "Prasaran Gaurav" by All India Radio Artists' Association at Jaipur, 1986 and (vi) Bhai Vir Singh Award for outstanding literary contribution by the Vice-President of India, 1989; honoured by the Government of Punjab as a distinguished man of letters with (i) a `purse' and `robe of honour', 1962 and similarly by the Delhi Administration in 1976, (ii) International Punjabi Society, 1989, (iii) Punjabi Association, Bombay, 1989 and (iv) Guru Gobind Singh Foundation, for distinguished contribution to Sikh Studies, 1992; selected for, (i) Sahitya Akademi Award for a collection of short stories in Punjabi entitled `Ik Chhit Channan Di,'1965, (ii) International Association of Punjabi Writers' and Artists' Award, 1983 and (iii) Bharatiya Bhasha Parishad Award for fiction, 1985; Awarded (i) `Padma Bhushan' by the President of India, 1988, (ii) Sarva Shreshtha Sahityakar by Punjabi Academy, 1993 and (iii) Hindi Sansthan's Ganga Saran Award by the President of India for contribution to Hindi writing, 1993; Presented `Praman Patra' by the Chief Minister of Punjab for outstanding contribution to Punjabi literature, 1993; conferred D.Litt. (Honoris Causa) by Punjabi University,1994.

Publications: Author of repute; twenty four collections of short stories,seven plays, ten novels, two collections of poetry, seven works of literary criticisms, autobiography etc.; several of his works prescribed in various universities at graduate and post-graduate levels; apart from writing in English and Punjabi, also writes in Hindi and Urdu; many of his works were translated into Indian and foreign languages; a short story entitled `Come Back My Master' was included in the Greatest Short Stories of the World.

Special interest: Creative writing and broadcasting.

Favourite pastime and recreation: Reading.

Permanent address: P-7, Hauz Khas Enclave, New Delhi-110016.