Rangil Singh did his MSc and PhD (Biochemistry) degrees from Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), Ludhiana. Thereafter, he worked as Assistant Professor of Biochemistry (1968-71), Biochemist (1971-84), Senior Biochemist (1984-95), Head of Biochemistry Department (1989-93) and INSA Senior Scientist (1995-2000), all at PAU. He was Postdoctoral Fellow at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), Manila, (1975-77), McGill University, Montreal, Canada (1980-83), and also Visiting Professor in this University (1984).

Academic and Research Achievements: Dr Rangil Singh conducted researches on metabolism of carbohydrates in cereals, legumes, forages, sugar cane and other commercial crops in relation to their productivity. Employing liquid culturing of plant tissues, protoplasts, ear heads/inflorescences in conjunction with radioisotopes, intricate metabolic processes and their bio-regulation (through metabolites, metal and non-metal ions), quantitative and qualitative aspects of crop productivity were investigated. He worked in an All India Coordinated Vegetable Improvement Project of PAU. While being at IRRI, he demonstrated, through successful culturing of rice ear heads, a drastic increase of protein synthesis in developing grain at the cost of starch accumulation but without altering grain size. While at McGill University, he elucidated the role of a strategically located wall bound invertase in sucrose cleavage and the mechanism of import of hexoses into cytosol in pea plant-meristem. He remained deeply involved in biochemistry research and teaching and handled a number of research projects financed by ICAR, CSIR, DST, INSA and the Punjab Government. He published 95 original research papers besides contributing books chapters. He also mentored nine PhD students.

Other Contributions: Singh served as Member, Scientific Panel on Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, ICAR (1985-88), Expert-Member, Boards of Studies in Biochemistry, GND University, Amritsar (1990-92), Kurukshetra University (1993-95), University of Kashmir (2001-04) and Member, Botanical Sciences Research Degree Committee, GND University (1998-2000). As Director Research, SKUAST-Jammu (2001-04), he promoted quality research.

Awards and Honours: Professor Singh was awarded International Scientific Exchange Award (1984) by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, PAUTA Award (1986) for excellence in teaching Biochemistry, Commendation certificates by Punjab State Council of Science & Technology and PAU in 1994; and Nestle's Food Scientist Award (1992) of the Association of Food Scientists and Technologists (India), Ludhiana Chapter. He was Vice President (1998-90), Society of Biological Chemists (India). He was elected Fellow of the National Academy of Agricultural Sciences, New Delhi in 1995.