After the initial district tenures I spent 5 years in the GOI in the MOH&FW, looking after the public health sector. Actively involved with a World Bank assisted major programme for control of Cataract blindness, which facilitated a significant scaling up of cataract surgeries in the country through skill upgradation of health professionals and Public Private Partnership. Followed it up with a PhD on the Cost-effectiveness of the blindness control Programme in Karnataka, at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine in the UK. Research findings published in the Lancet; this and other similar Research findings led to the discontinuation of sub-optimal eye camps. After my PhD spent almost six years as the Health Commissioner of Gujarat. This was one of my most productive and satisfying postings. The state health team made a major difference to the reduction of MMR through Chiranjeevi – a Public Private Partnership to involve the private obstetricians. The initiative was honored with the Prime Minister’s Award for Excellence in Public Administration in 2008. Facilitated the setting up of the first Indian Institute of Public Health in Gandhinagar.
2010-17 in the Government of India in the Ministries of Health & FW, HRD and WR RD & GR. Involved with major initiatives for Population Stabilization, Teacher Education, completion of 106 Major Irrigation Projects, lying incomplete for a number of years, at a cost of Rs 77000 Crs & initiated programme for cleaning of the Ganges. Retired in 2017 as the Secretary, to the GOI, Ministry of Water Resources River, Development and Ganga Rejuvenation. Post retirement, Chairman, Gujarat Real Estate Regulation & Development Authority, till November 2022.
Currently on the Board of Bhaikaka University (founded by Sh HM Patel) at Anand, IIHMR, New Delhi; IIPH, Gandhinagar. Regular speaker at NCGG; IIPHG & NDC, IIMB & AIIMS. & Exploring the History of Gujarat.
Publications
Singh A.J, Garner P, & Katherine F 2000, Cost-effectiveness of public-funded options for cataract surgery in Mysore, India. The Lancet, 355:180-184.
Singh A.J, Garner P, & Katherine F 2000, Cost-effectiveness of public-funded options for cataract surgery in Mysore, India. American Journal of Ophthalmology 129(5): 701-702.
Singh, A.J and Garner P. 1998, ‘Should blindness control societies support NGO’s or government providers? A cost-effectiveness comparison of cataract surgery in India.’ Paper presented to the 2nd European Congress on Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, Liverpool. Published in Clone, Cure and Control. Tropical Health for the 21st century.
Singh, A.J and Garner P. 1999, ‘A cost-effectiveness comparison of cataract surgery in India.’ Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 99(2), pp 121.
Singh A.J 1999, Failure a great teacher (letter) Electronic British Medical Journal; 318 (7198).
Singh A.J 1999, The environment: everybody’s business (letter) Electronic British Medical Journal; 18(7199).
Singh A. Private public partnership: a solution to maternal mortality. Journal of Family Welfare 2006; 52 (suppl): 77-84.
Bhat R, Singh A, Maheshwari S, Saha S. Maternal health financing—issues and options: a study of Chiranjeevi Yojana in Gujarat, working paper 2006-08-03. Ahmedabad: Indian Institute of Management. 2006:
Singh A et al. Providing skilled birth attendance and EmOC to the poor through innovative partnership with the private sector obstetricians in Gujarat, India. Bulletin of World Health Organisation 87(12), 2009 960-64.
Mavlankar D, Singh A, et al. Saving mothers and newborns through an innovative partnership with private sector obstetricians. International Journal of Gynecs and Obstetrics, 107 (2009) 271-76.
Mid-term review report on implementation of Avahan project for HIV prevention, treatment and control in India on behalf of Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF).
Singh A. Controlling the numbers. A Tribune special - The Sunday Tribune, New Delhi, July 11, 2010
Singh A. Addressing adverse sex ratio. A Tribune special - The Sunday Tribune, New Delhi, September 12, 2010
Singh A. We are still growing too fast. A Tribune special – Oped Population - The Tribune, New Delhi, July 11, 2011
Singh A. Maternal mortality: Gujarat shows the way. A Tribune special –The Sunday Tribune, New Delhi, November, 28th, 2010.
Prajapati PB, Singh A, editors. Current scenario of vector borne diseases in Gujarat, India Proceedings of the 1st Symposium on the Burden of Neglected Diseases; 10 Sep 2008; Ahmedabad, India.
Tiina M. Murtola, S.S. Vasan, Tapasvi I. Puwar, DiptiGovil, Robert W. Field, Hong-Fei Gong, Ami Bhavsar-Vyas, Jose A. Suaya, Marion Howard,Donald S. Shepard, Vijay Kumar Kohli, P.B. Prajapati, Amarjit Singh and Dileep V. Mavalankar. Preliminary estimate of immediate cost of chikungunya and dengue to Gujarat, India. Dengue Bulletin 2010; 34: 32-40.
Edited Volume 14 of The Journal of Governance as Guest Editor, January 2017, Special Issue on Water Management
Singh A. Quality control a must to bolster healthcare; The Tribune, New Delhi, April 11, 2019.
Singh A. How to make our water use sustainable; The Tribune, New Delhi, March 21st, 2019.
Books
Singh A, Saha D, & Tyagi A. (Eds.) (2019): Water Governance: Challenges and Prospects, (Springer - Water)
PhD Thesis
Singh A.J, 2000, Cost-effectiveness of Blindness Control Program in India with Specific Reference to Mysore. PhD thesis, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, University of Liverpool, UK
MSc Thesis
Singh A.J, 1994, Critical Evaluation of the Economic Reforms in India. MSc thesis, Development and Project Planning Centre, University of Bradford, UK
Awards
DFID fellowship for PhD studies in the UK.
Overseas Research Students award by the Committee of Vice-Chancellors and Principals of the UK for PhD studies.
Asian Innovation award for Chiranjeevi Scheme
Part of the BMGF review team, to review the Avahan project in India
HMIS Skoch award for implementation of computerization in the hospitals in Gujarat
National award (Silver) for e-governance 2008-09 For Development and implementation of Drug Logistics and Information Systems in Gujarat
National award (Bronze) for e-governance 2008-09 For Development and implementation of Hospital Management Information System in Gujarat
Data quest award for implementation of Integrated disease surveillance programme in Gujarat
PM’s award for good Governance for 2008 for successful implementation of PPP in reducing maternal mortality in Gujarat
Chiranjeevi Initiative documented by UNICEF in their state of the children’s report for the current year;
WHO organized a special regional conference in Gujarat for 13 countries to highlight the work done by Gujarat for reducing maternal mortality.