Dr. Hari Singh Gour

November 26, 1976

A commemorative postage stamp on the Birth Anniversary of Sir Hari Singh Gaur, 1^st vice-chancellor of University of Delhi and Nagpur University, founder vice-chancellor of University of Sagar :

Issued by India

Issued on Nov 26, 1976

Issued for : The P&T Department feels privileged to issue a commemorative stamp on Dr. Hari Singh Gour.

Type : Stamp, Postal Used

Colour : Plum

Denomination : 25 Paise

Overall size : 3.91 X 2.90 cms.

Printing size : 3.56 X 2.54 cms.

Perforation : 13 x 13

Watermark : Printed on unwatermarked adhesive stamp paper

Number printed : 30,00,000

Number per issue sheet : 35

Printing process : Photogravure

Designed and printed at : India Security Press

Name : Hari Singh Gour

Born on Nov 26, 1870 at Sagar, Madhya Pradesh, India

Died on Dec 25, 1949

About :

Hari Singh Gour was born on November 26, 1870 in a poor peasant family near Saugar. The family had to be supported by Hari Singh‘s eldest brother who provided an allowance of Rs. 50 per month. At the age of 10, Hari Singh won a scholarship of Rs. 2 per month which enabled him to attend a night school at Saugar. Later, with the help of another scholarship he went to Jabalpur to undertake further studies. He passed his Intermediate examination from Hislop College, Nagpur, standing first in the whole Province.
When he was 18, Hari Singh Gour went to Cambridge University where he took Moral Sciences Tripos and Law Tripos. While in England he came to be known in literary circles as a promising poet.
On his return to India he became a successful lawyer at Raipur. He wrote two monumental works, ‘The Law of Transfer in India‘ and ‘The Penal Law of British India‘. Another book ‘Hindu Law Code‘ published later added to his reputation as a great jurist. He was also a great social reformer and was successful in getting an Act passed to enable women to be enrolled as lawyers, while his Civil Marriage Bill of 1923 showed him to be a reformer thinking ahead of his times.
By his determination and industry combined with a gift of oratory, Dr. Hari Singh Gour rose to eminent position in the political scene. He became a leader of the Opposition and of the Nationalist Party in the Indian Legislative Assembly. He was a Member of the Constituent Assembly that framed India’s Constitution.
Besides being a great lawyer and jurist, Dr. Gour was also a great educationist. He organised Delhi University as its first Vice-Chancellor and was Vice-Chancellor of Nagpur University for two successive terms. One of his most important contributions was the founding of the University of Saugar in 1946 for which he made a munificent donation. He became the first Vice-Chancellor of this University and occupied this position until he passed away on December 25, 1949. He bequeathed the greater part of his life’s savings, a large fortune, to the University of Saugar. The new campus of this University laid out on the summit of Patharia Hills, with a panoramic view of the town and lake, has been built largely through the benefactions of Dr. Hari Singh Gour and is a fitting memorial to this man of great vision.