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Nagendra Singh
judge · jurist
- March 18, 1914 · Dungarpur
- December 11, 1988 · The Hague
- 74 years
- heart attack
About Nagendra Singh
Nagendra Singh, 74, Indian lawyer, President of the International Court of Justice, heart attack.
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Full Biography
|Prince Sri Nagendra Singh (18 March 1914 – 11 December 1988; Hindi pronunciation: [n̪əgeːn̪d̪ɾə sɪŋgʱ]) was an Indian lawyer and administrator who served as President of the International Court of Justice from 1985 to 1988. He was the first Indian judge at the International Court of Justice [1] and one among the four judges from India to have been judges of the International Court of Justice in The Hague, the others being B. N. Rau (1952–1953), R. S. Pathak (1989–1991) the 18th Chief Justice of India, and Dalveer Bhandari (2012–), former judge of the Supreme Court of India.
Early life
Nagendra Singh was born on 18 March 1914 in the State of the Kingdom of Dungarpur, to Bijai Singh and his wife Davendra Kanwar; his elder brother was Laxman Singh I, the last monarch of Dungarpur. Before joining the Civil Service he was educated at St John's College, Cambridge.
Career
He joined the Indian Civil Service and served as Regional Commissioner for the Eastern States, a member of the Constituent Assembly of India, joint secretary for India's Defense Ministry, Director-General of Transport, and special secretary in the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
Between 1966 and 1972 Singh was secretary to the President of India, then from 1 October 1972 to 6 February 1973 he was Chief Election Commissioner of India. In 1966, 1969, and 1975, he was appointed a representative of India in the United Nations Assembly and served on the United Nations International Law Commission on a part-time basis from 1967 to 1972. He was also elected as secretary of the International Bar Association. In 1973, he moved to The Hague to become a judge of the International Court of Justice and was its president between February 1985 and February 1988, when he retired. He continued to live at the Hague and died there in December 1988.
Honours
Singh received the Padma Vibhushan from the Government of India in 1973.
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Sources
- Wikipedia
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nagendra_Singh
- CC BY-SA 4.0
- Sep 26, 2026
- View article
- View record
- October 22, 2026
- Sep 26, 2026
Trivia & Knowledge· 14 questions
Questions drawn from Nagendra Singh's archived record and the sources above.
1.When did Nagendra Singh pass away?
- A.10 November 1985
- B.11 December 1988correct
- C.15 January 1989
- D.18 March 1914
Nagendra Singh died on 11 December 1988.
Source: biographical introduction
2.What position did Nagendra Singh hold at the International Court of Justice from 1985 to 1988?
- A.Presidentcorrect
- B.Legal Advisor
- C.Chief Justice
- D.Registrar
Nagendra Singh served as President of the International Court of Justice from 1985 to 1988.
Source: biographical introduction
3.What distinction did Nagendra Singh hold regarding the International Court of Justice?
- A.He was the founder of the court
- B.He was the longest-serving judge
- C.He was the first Indian judgecorrect
- D.He was the first Asian clerk
Nagendra Singh was the first Indian judge at the International Court of Justice.
Source: biographical introduction
4.Who served as an International Court of Justice judge from 1952 to 1953?
- A.Dalveer Bhandari
- B.R. S. Pathak
- C.Nagendra Singh
- D.B. N. Raucorrect
B. N. Rau served as a judge of the International Court of Justice between 1952 and 1953.
Source: biographical introduction
5.Which individual was the 18th Chief Justice of India before becoming an International Court of Justice judge?
- A.R. S. Pathakcorrect
- B.Dalveer Bhandari
- C.Nagendra Singh
- D.B. N. Rau
R. S. Pathak, who served at the International Court of Justice from 1989 to 1991, was the 18th Chief Justice of India.
Source: biographical introduction
6.Dalveer Bhandari is noted for having served as a judge of which Indian institution?
- A.Federal Court
- B.High Court of Delhi
- C.Law Commission
- D.Supreme Court of Indiacorrect
Dalveer Bhandari is a former judge of the Supreme Court of India.
Source: biographical introduction
7.In which city is the International Court of Justice located?
- A.Geneva
- B.New Delhi
- C.London
- D.The Haguecorrect
The International Court of Justice is located in The Hague.
Source: biographical introduction
8.How many Indian judges have served at the International Court of Justice, according to the text?
- A.Five
- B.Three
- C.Fourcorrect
- D.Six
There have been four judges from India to have been judges of the International Court of Justice.
Source: biographical introduction
9.What was the formal title used for Nagendra Singh?
- A.Prince Sricorrect
- B.Sir
- C.Chief Justice
- D.Doctor
The biography refers to the subject as Prince Sri Nagendra Singh.
Source: biographical introduction
10.Between which years did R. S. Pathak serve as a judge at the International Court of Justice?
- A.1952–1953
- B.2012–present
- C.1985–1988
- D.1989–1991correct
R. S. Pathak served as a judge at the International Court of Justice from 1989 to 1991.
Source: biographical introduction
11.Who is the judge at the International Court of Justice whose tenure began in 2012?
- A.Dalveer Bhandaricorrect
- B.B. N. Rau
- C.R. S. Pathak
- D.Nagendra Singh
Dalveer Bhandari has been a judge at the International Court of Justice since 2012.
Source: biographical introduction
12.What was Nagendra Singh's profession?
- A.Lawyer and administratorcorrect
- B.Politician and writer
- C.Teacher and historian
- D.Diplomat and economist
Nagendra Singh was an Indian lawyer and administrator.
Source: biographical introduction
13.When did B. N. Rau serve as a judge at the International Court of Justice?
- A.2012–present
- B.1985–1988
- C.1952–1953correct
- D.1989–1991
B. N. Rau served as a judge of the International Court of Justice from 1952 to 1953.
Source: biographical introduction
14.On what date was Nagendra Singh born?
- A.12 March 1914
- B.18 December 1918
- C.18 March 1914correct
- D.11 December 1988
Nagendra Singh was born on 18 March 1914.
Source: biographical introduction
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