A person with multiple interests beyond profession, Prof J P Singh has pursued a wide variety of societal causes. These include promoting Right to Information Act, Whistle Blowers' Protection Act, Rain Water Harvesting, Transparency in economy, Curbing Corruption and Consumer, Investor Protection. This also led him to address issues of Corporate Governance both in work and life. He is an advocate of removal of death penalty and for regular investigation of each custodial death and every alleged fake encounter.

Prof Singh has also been a keen observer of Political and Economic affairs. He has written several Papers on Democracy in India. His article entitled 'Fifty Years of Democracy in India: An Overview' was published in Liberal Times, a publication of Friedrich-Naumann-Stiftung of Germany in a special issue focusing on Democracy in South Asia. He was also invited to participate in a seminar on 'Elite Groups on Management of World Problems' organized at Gummersbach, Germany.

In August 2001 Prof Singh proposed the concept of a 'Universal Time' suggesting de-linking measurement of time from earth geography for application in global events and astronomical research. This proposal was posted on the Social Innovation Forum of World Future Society in an article entitled: gTime, gDate and gCalender for which he holds the Intellectual Property Right.

Educated at University of Delhi, Delhi and at Univ of Akron, Ohio, Prof Singh holds a PhD in Industrial and Organizational Psychology. He combined experience of University Teaching at Department of Psychology, University of Delhi, with Corporate Personnel Management at Data Products, Delhi and Consultancy-cum-Training for Productivity Improvement at National Productivity Council (NPC), New Delhi. After having served as Director, Behavioural Science and Regional Director for the North East States at NPC, he joined IIMA in 1984 from where he superannuated in October 2005 as Professor, Organization Behaviour and International Management. During his career he received several honors, including Fulbright Scholarship and International Labour Organization Fellowship.

His professional specialization is in Design, Development and Growth of Organizations based on Participative Systems and Human Processes in organization including focus on communications, conflict resolution and leadership. Later years, he focused on issues of survival of small organizations in globalized economy and challenges before a born global organization. As a Teacher, Researcher and Training cum Consultant he developed special programs on Corporate Leadership, Cross-Culture Communication and Corporate Governance. He was engaged in exploring issues of organization growth, effectiveness, culture, participative systems and structures. At macro level he addressed issues in Aviation Growth and on Philanthropy. To promote case method of learning in management education, he developed 'Asian Toys: A Role Play' that is registered with the European Case Clearing House at Cranfield University, England.

As an Administrator at IIMA, he supervised development and operation of Online Single Point facility for Data Access and Library Services and Development of the Library Network linking Management Libraries across the country. As Admissions Chairman, he initiated the process of wider access to Common Admissions Test of IIMs to Non-IIM Management Schools.

He participated in several international conferences, notably Einar Thorsrud Memorial Symposium in Oslo, International Seminars at Hanoi University of Technology, Institute of Political Economy, Lodz University, Poland, Catholic University at Belo Horizonte, Brazil and Centre for the Study of Work Teams, Univ of North Texas, USA. Prof Singh has been Editor of Productivity, a Journal of National Productivity Council, India, made a film on Decision Making Styles under the auspices of Indira Gandhi National Open University, New Delhi.

His contribution to Institution Building includes setting up of a Management Education Institute in Jodhpur and guiding and supporting an Educational institute in Ahmedabad. He is also supporting a Pune based NGO for improving education in Government Schools, an Ahmedabad based NGO engaged in Recycling Goods and aims to help identify good Corporate Governance practices.

As Community Service he has been associated as Trustee Consumer Education & Research Centre, Trustee, Testing Organisation for Research in Chemicals and Health Hazards; Governing Body Member of Consumer Coordination Council, India; Trustee, Marwar Education Foundation; Life Member, Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage and Member, Rotary Club of Ahmedabad. His association with Professional organizations include: Fellow, All India Management Association; Life Member, Ahmedabad Management Association no and Life Member, HRD Network.

Among his general writings, he has occasionally contributed humour and satire articles in different Forums. Post retirement, he is a keen observer of Corporate and National Governance and International Conflict. He now limits his observations on life and living in short tweets on X. His leisure time interests include Golf, Travel, Watching Short Videos, Listening Music and occasionally Experimenting with food.

Contact information: jpsingh@iima.ac.in

(Bio provided by J P Singh in August 2024)

Date of Birth: October 17, 1943