Professor Mahendra Pal Singh, a distinguished constitutional law scholar and former Vice-Chancellor of the West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences (NUJS), passed away on March 7, 2026, at the age of 85.

Born on July 15, 1940, Prof. Singh was widely regarded as one of India's leading scholars of constitutional and administrative law. Over several decades, he taught and held key academic positions, including Professor and Dean at the Faculty of Law, University of Delhi.

He served as the Vice-Chancellor of NUJS, Kolkata, from 2006 to 2011, a period during which the institution strengthened its academic position, expanded research initiatives, and enhanced faculty recruitment.

Prof. Singh was also known for his scholarship in constitutional law, administrative law, comparative law and human rights. Among researchers, law students and practitioners, he was particularly associated with the highly-regarded constitutional law commentary “V.N. Shukla's Constitution of India,” which remains a widely used reference text.

Throughout his career, he held visiting positions at several international universities and contributed significantly to comparative public law scholarship. His writings and teaching shaped debates on constitutional interpretation, governance, and the role of law in advancing social justice in India.