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Upinder Singh (Manmohan Singh’s Daughter) Biography: Age, Career, Body

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated October 16, 2026 • 4 min read

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Quick Info

Date of birth22 June 1959

Age65 Years

BirthplaceAmritsar, Punjab, India

ProfessionHistorian, Professor of History and Dean of Faculty at Ashoka University

NationalityIndian

Marital statusMarried

SpouseVijay Tankha

FamilyDaughters of Manmohan Singh and Gursharan Kaur; sisters Daman Singh and Amrit Singh; sons Madhav Tankha and Raghav Tankha

Upinder Singh (Manmohan Singh’s Daughter) Biography

Upinder Singh is an Indian historian and academic known for her work on ancient and early medieval India. A former head of the History Department at the Un

Early life and background

Upinder Singh was born on 22 June 1959 in Amritsar, Punjab. She spent part of her childhood in New York after her father took a position with UNCTAD, before the family returned to India and settled in Delhi. Raised in an environment that valued reading and education, Singh developed an early interest in history. She initially applied to study economics but shifted to history during her undergraduate years.

Education

Singh completed a BA (Honours) in History at St. Stephen’s College, Delhi, followed by an MA and an MPhil in History from the University of Delhi. She earned her PhD from McGill University in Montreal in 1991; her doctoral research examined inscriptions and temple history in Orissa, covering roughly the period 300–1147 CE. Her academic training also included research fellowships and study abroad opportunities, such as a Netherlands Government Reciprocal Fellowship in 1985 and visiting fellowships in Cambridge and London in 1999.

Career

Upinder Singh has built a long career as a scholar of ancient and early medieval Indian history. She taught in the History Department at the University of Delhi from 2004 to 2018, serving as Head of Department during her tenure. She also acted as the National Coordinator for History at the Institute of LifeLong Learning at Delhi University. In 2018 she joined Ashoka University in Sonipat as Professor of History and Dean of Faculty.

Her academic roles have extended beyond teaching: she has served on the board of management of the Delhi Institute of Heritage Research and Management, been a member of the editorial board of South Asian Studies, held an adjunct professorship at Mangalore University, and participated as an external member of a departmental research committee at Presidency College.

Publications

Singh is the author of multiple books and scholarly papers that focus on India’s ancient and early medieval past. Her book-length works include an epigraphic study of Orissa, a survey of ancient Delhi, and a multi-edition history of ancient India covering the Stone Age through the twelfth century. Her publications also address topics such as archaeology, political violence in ancient India, and Buddhist revival and reinvention in Asia. She has produced collaborative volumes and readers that bring together scholarship on early medieval India and connected histories across Asia.

Among her papers are detailed studies on topics such as the dismembering of the Mahacetiya at Amaravati and cults and shrines in early historical Mathura. Her doctoral thesis topic was published as part of her early scholarly contributions.

Honors and fellowships

Singh’s work has been recognized through several awards and fellowships. She was a recipient of research fellowships in the Netherlands and at Cambridge, held the Daniel Ingalls Fellowship at the Harvard-Yenching Institute, and received the Ancient India and Iran Trust/Wallace India Visiting Fellowship. In 2009 she was awarded the Infosys Prize in Social Sciences for History in recognition of her scholarship on ancient and early medieval Indian history.

Personal life

Upinder Singh is married to Vijay Tankha, who has been associated with St. Stephen’s College in Delhi as head of its philosophy department. The couple have two sons, Madhav Tankha and Raghav Tankha. She is one of three daughters of Manmohan Singh and Gursharan Kaur; her sisters are Daman Singh and Amrit Singh.

Public profile

Singh has been a visible figure in academic and public debates connected to history and culture. In 2008 unrest at the University of Delhi over course reading and interpretations of the Ramayana escalated into an episode of vandalism in the department; Singh was briefly moved to safety during those events. The university later clarified that she was not the editor or compiler alleged by student groups.

Latest updates

As of 2018 Singh holds the position of Professor of History and Dean of Faculty at Ashoka University. Her career continues to include research, teaching, and participation in academic governance and editorial work.

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Recent Work

Ancient India: Culture Of Contradictions

Book examining tensions and continuities in ancient Indian history

2021
Buddhism in Asia: Revival and Reinvention

Coauthored volume on Buddhist revival across Asia

2018
Political Violence in Ancient India

Book exploring instances and dynamics of political violence in ancient India

2017
A History of Ancient and Early Medieval India: From the Stone Age to the 12th Century

Comprehensive textbook covering ancient Indian history through the twelfth century

2008
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Career Highlights

  1. Professor of History and Dean of Faculty at Ashoka University (appointed 2018)
  2. Head of the History Department, University of Delhi (served during 2004–2018 tenure)
  3. Recipient of the inaugural Infosys Prize in Social Sciences – History (2009)
  4. Daniel Ingalls Fellowship, Harvard-Yenching Institute (2005)
  5. PhD from McGill University for doctoral research on Orissa inscriptions and temples
Reviewed by F4U Editorial Desk

F4U profile pages are prepared from public career information, checked for readability, and updated when reliable correction sources are shared with the editorial team.

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Frequently Asked Questions

When was Upinder Singh (Manmohan Singh’s Daughter) born?

Upinder Singh (Manmohan Singh’s Daughter) was born on 22 June 1959.

What is Upinder Singh (Manmohan Singh’s Daughter) known for?

Upinder Singh (Manmohan Singh’s Daughter) is known for historian, Professor of History and Dean of Faculty at Ashoka University.

What is Upinder Singh (Manmohan Singh’s Daughter)’s marital status?

Upinder Singh (Manmohan Singh’s Daughter)'s marital status is listed as Married.

Who is Upinder Singh (Manmohan Singh’s Daughter) married to?

Upinder Singh (Manmohan Singh’s Daughter) is publicly listed as married to Vijay Tankha.