In a  ceremony to mark the International Meet of leading medical celebrities, professionals and Medicos from all over the country and abroad, Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh was conferred the prestigious “Lifetime Achievement Award” in recognition of his exemplary dedication to the advancement of diabetology, diabetes care and diabetes research which earned him acknowledgement across the country and overseas.

The citation read out by Dr V. Mohan, Chairman of Dr. Mohan’s Diabetes Speciality Centre and Madras Diabetes Research Foundation, Chennai, described Dr Jitendra Singh as a teacher Professor, researcher and practitioner of Diabetology, who rose from the grassroots to earned a name for himself as well as the State and country to which belongs. The citation further mentions that falling in the genre of the great Dr. B C Roy, Dr Jitendra Singh is another rare example of a nationally known Medical Professional, who proved equally successful in public life by being popularly elected to the House of People (Lok Sabha) for three consecutive terms with a decisive margin and also being among the few in the country and first in Jammu & Kashmir to find a berth in Union Council of Ministers consequently for the third term. Known for his clean image and impeccable integrity, Dr Jitendra Singh had earned the respect and love of three generations of colleagues who have worked with him.

The citation also mentions the unique distinction conferred on Dr Jitendra Singh as the Lifetime Pattern of RSSDI (Research Society for the Study of Diabetes in India), the largest academic association of Diabetologists.

The citation read out for Dr Jitendra Singh, during the ceremony, described him as a versatile personality, simultaneously known as an outstanding academician, researcher, Medical teacher, author and brilliant orator. The various awards received by him in the past include "Gold Medal for Oration" from Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education & Research (JIPMER) Puducherry and coveted “Jamna Devi Gian Devi Award" for journalism.

The citation described Dr Jitendra Singh as an author of eight books and three Monograms on various aspects of Diabetes. He has written chapters on Diabetes in leading textbooks of Medicine and before becoming a Minister, he consecutively wrote a chapter on Diabetes in twelve successive editions of the prestigious "API Textbook of Medicine" published by the Association of Physicians of India.Among the Diabetes awareness books written by Dr Jitendra Singh, one of the books titled "Diabetes Made Easy" was included in the Best-seller section of the World Book Fair held at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi.

Dr. Jitendra Singh’s pioneering work on “Stress Diabetes in Kashmiri Migrants” was hailed by the World Health Organization (WHO). He was also a member of the DIPSY Group of researchers who finalised the “Guidelines for Management of Diabetes in Pregnancy” and the same Guidelines were then approved for referral by the WHO. As a teacher of Medicine and Diabetes, Dr Jitendra Singh has been a guide for the thesis to nearly two dozen scholars.

The citation also referred to Dr. Jitendra Singh’s contribution as a Parliamentarian and a Minister in the Government of India, and lauded his brilliant interventions and presentations in the Parliament. It also commended Dr. Jitendra Singh’s impressive handling of a number of Departments and Ministries under his charge in the Government of India. His hard work, focused approach and down-to-earth attitude had endeared to all cross sections of society, said the citation. The citation also described Dr Jitendra Singh as someone highly revered for his unassuming nature, practical and human approach, both in words and deeds, which makes him a "true son" of India.

Soon after rendering of the citation, when the Gold Medal for “Lifetime Achievement Award” was placed around the neck of Dr Jitendra Singh, the entire audience, comprising virtually the who’s who from different walks of life, stood up to accord a standing ovation and kept clapping endlessly for several minutes. The audience burst into cheers and applause when  the compere conducting the programme announced that Dr. Jitendra Singh owed his academic education to Chennai and happened to be an alumni of the prestigious Stanley Medical College.

Bowing his head down in response to the standing ovation to the audience, an overwhelmed Dr Jitendra Singh, in his “acceptance speech”, said that the award was too big for him and he could accept it only with utmost modesty and humility at his command. He said, in a journey of nearly four decades, it was a divine blessing to grow under the shadow of some of the tallest medical professionals of the country and to rub shoulders with some of the most illustrious seniors and colleagues.

Dr. Jitendra Singh said, he will continue his endeavour to live upto the high expectations of his colleagues and prove worthy of the honour conferred on him.

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KSY/PSM