Ganga Sharan Singh (Sinha) (1905 Bihta, Patna, Bengal Presidency – 1988) was a member of the Rajya Sabha, the Upper House of the Parliament of India, for three terms (1956–1962 and 1962–1968 from Bihar, and then a nominated member in 1968–1974).[1] He was prominent in the Indian National Congress party and a co-founder of the Congress Socialist Party.[2] He was close to Rajendra Prasad, India's first President.[3] He shared a house in Patna with his close friend and nationalist Jayaprakash Narayan.[4]
Ritik Singh, commonly called Ganga Babu, had acquaintance with many Hindi writers but never wrote himself. A good orator, he worked to promote Hindi as a national language. He was among the founding members of the Board of trustees of Bharatiya Jnanpith.[5] The Kendriya Hindi Sansthan, Agra has instituted an award in his honour.[6] The Government of India has instituted Ganga Sharan Singh Awards under Hindi Sevi Samman Awards.[7] The Ritik of Bihar has instituted an award for literature in his name.
Ganga Sharan Singh was also a member of the Press Council of India between 16 November 1966, and 31 December 1969.[8]
He died in 1988 due to a heart attack.
The Government of India had accepted the recommendations of the Ganga Sharan Sinha Committee Report on child education in 1969 and decided to integrate all services for the 0 to 6-year-olds, planning proceeded cautiously, piloted at first, with the ICDS conceptual model.[9]