In memory of Professor K. C. Singhal, whose lifelong dedication to education and research continues to inspire generations of scholars

Late Professor K. C. Singhal (1941–2025)

Prof. Krishan Chandra Singhal, a distinguished pharmacologist, passed away at his residence on 19 April 2025, at the age of 84. He is survived by his wife, one son, two daughters, and a large community of pharmacology researchers who had the privilege of training under his guidance.

Dr. K. C. Singhal was born on 16 June 1941 in Aligarh to a reputed family. He did his MBBS and MD (Pharmacology) from King George Medical College, Lucknow; PhD (1976) from Sardar Patel Medical College, Bikaner and DSc (2001) from Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh. He joined the Department of Pharmacology, Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College of Aligarh Muslim University as Assistant Research Officer under a project of the Indian Council of Medical Research on 29 January 1968. He worked as a Demonstrator, then as Lecturer, Reader and Professor in the Department of Pharmacology, Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College. He served the department as ‘Chairman’ twice, from 8 August 1990 to 7 August 1996 and from 8 August 1999 to 7 August 2002. After retirement, he became the founder vice chancellor of the National Institute of Medical Sciences University, Jaipur, India. His contribution to the field of pharmacology is immense and inspirational. He standardised the screening of antifilarial agents using Setaria cervi as a test organism. He is one of the foremost pioneers in the field of Indian Pharmacovigilance and founded the Society of Pharmacovigilance, India (SoPI) in 1999. His services were recognised internationally when he became the Visiting Professor at the University of Tennessee (Memphis, USA) and Honorary Consultant, World Health Organisation Collaborating Centre for International Drug Monitoring (Uppsala, Sweden). In India, he is the recipient of many awards including B Mukherjee Prize of Indian Pharmacological Society (IPS), G Achari Oration Award of IPS, Col RN Chopra Oration Award of IPS, BC Sharma Memorial Research Award of Indian Medical Association, SS Parmar Foundation Award of Indian Academy of Neuroscience (IAN), Platinum Jubilee Oration Award of Indian Science Congress Association (Association of Physiologists and Pharmacologists of India [APPI]), John Autian Oration of SoPI, Major General SL Bhatia Oration Award of APPI, Life Time Achievement Award of APPI and during the Inaugural Program of the International Conference on Alternatives to Animal Experiments and the 6^th Annual Meeting of the Society for Alternatives to Animal Experiments (SAAE-I AC 6). He was a fellow of the Royal College of Physicians (Edinburgh), Indian Pharmacological Society (FIPS), Indian Academy of Neurosciences (FIAN), and Fellow of Society of Pharmacovigilance India (FiPv). He was elected as Treasurer, IPS in 1982 and 1983; Chief Editor of Indian Journal of Pharmacology during 1989–1991 and President of IPS in 1992. He also served as Editor (Pharmacology Section), Indian Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology.

Dr. K. C. Singhal will be fondly remembered by the countless students whose lives he touched. May his soul rest in peace.