Jagjit Singh (writer)

Jagjit Singh (1912-2002) was an Indian writer and science popularizer. In college he excelled in mathematics courses, yet made his career as an important director of India's railways, applying his mathematical skills there. Upon retirement, he set out in writing several books, starting with "Great Ideas of Modern Mathematics", popularizing science and targeting laymen. Singh subsequently won the Kalinga Prize from the UNESCO in 1963, the first Asian to be so.

In 1960, he was appointed director of the Indian Railway Board, and nine years later he was appointed general manager of the North-East Frontier Railways. After his retirement he went to work as was managing director of the Indian Drug and Pharmaceuticals, adviser of Asian Development Bank and adviser of Tata Chemicals.

Singh was elected a Fellow of the Royal Statistical Society and awarded an honorary Doctorate in Science by Roorkee University. He was also chosen by Pakistan scientist and Nobel Prize winner in Physics in 1979, Abdus Salam to write his biography, which came out in 1992 published by Penguin books.

ome works

* "Great Ideas of Modern Mathematics"
* "Great Ideas and Theories of Modern Cosmology"
* "Great Ideas in Information Theory, Language and Cybernetics"
* "Reminiscences of a Mathematician Manqué"
* "Great Ideas of Operations Research"

References

Jagjit Singh under 'a man of science' [http://www.tribuneindia.com/2003/20030208/windows/above.htm Biographical note]