User:Bhuvanlall

Sharan Behari Lal

Born on 8 October 1928, Sharan Behari Lal had served in many different capacities since he commenced his civil service career as a member of the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) in 1952.

Early on in his service he was appointed Under Secretary in the Ministry of Defense in the Government of India in 1955. Between1960 and 1971, he served the state of Madhya Pradesh as Collector, Khandwa, Director of Industries, Labor Commissioner and Secretary, Irrigation and Power.

In 1971 he was posted as Joint Secretary in the Ministries of Steel and Mines, Coal and Energy, Government of India. He spearheaded the nationalization of the Coal Industry of India that led to the formation of Coal India. In 1975, he was appointed Additional Secretary,Ministry of Communication, the assignment he held for two years. In his later career he was Agriculture Production Commissioner in the State of Madhya Pradesh, Chairman of the Board of Revenue of Madhya Pradesh and Chairman of the Madhya Pradesh Electricity Board.

In August 1981 he was appointed Secretary in the Government of India to the ministry of Information and Broadcasting. He was instrumental in the introduction of color tv and expansion of low power satellite TV in India. He also played a sterling role in Indian government’s involvement in the production of 8 academy award winning film “Gandhi”. In 1983 he was posted as Secretary in the Ministry of Coal and thereafter in December1985 he was chosen to the post of Secretary (Coordination), in the Cabinet Secretariat and retired from that position in October 1986.

Post retirement in July1987, he was appointed Chairman of a Government of India committee to prepare a roadmap for the Indian Communication, Post and Telegraph sector.

In recent years Sharan Behari Lal had been Chairman of the board of several large Indian industrial houses. He headed the not forprofit organization, “The Coal Forum” and was the Vice President of Citizenship Development Society.

Sharan Behari Lal was a post-graduate Economic alumnus of the St Stephens College, at the University of Delhi, and completed a Masters in Economic Development from Williams College, USA. Lal passed away on 9 September 2012.