Nirmal Tej Singh did his PhD (1967) from University of California, USA specializing in Soil Science. He was the Professor of Soils/Senior Soil Physicist and Head, Department of Soils, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana; Director, Central Soil Salinity Research Institute, Karnal; Director, Central Agricultural Research Institute, Port Blair.

Academic and Research Achievements: Singh's researches on water requirement during reclamation, the role of organic matter in the removal of sodium from soils, role of evaporative demand on salt accumulation near roots and comparative role of transport processes and nutrient availability have wider applications in amelioration of salt-affected soils and in making the most efficient use of applied irrigation water and nutrients. His other research contributions are concerned with nutrient-water interaction, saline irrigations, improving nutrient efficiency and green manuring. He has prepared a water quality map of ground waters and elucidated the nature of salts in degraded soils of Punjab. He has also described and mapped the soils of Andaman & Nicobar Islands.

Other Contributions: Singh was a Chairman, Steering Committee of UNDP Project on Irrigation Management; Member, Haryana State Council of Science and Technology, Haryana State Board of Prevention and Control of Water Pollution, Science & Technology Council of Haryana, and of several other bodies. He established the Andaman Science Association of which he was Founder President and was instrumental in creating Chapters of Indian Society of Soil Science. He served as chief editor of Journal of Andaman Science Association; edited a number of books and contributed chapters to many books.

Awards and Honours: Singh received Rafi Ahmed Kidwai Memorial Prize (1981); Fakhrudin Ali Ahmed Award (1987) and Mukerjee Memorial Lecture (Indian Society of Soil Science) (1989). He is a Fellow, National Academy of Agricultural Sciences (India), Allahabad and Indian Society of Soil Science.