Hybrid rose ‘Tribhuvan’ named after first plan panel secretary

India’s first full-time secretary of Planning Commission and 1936-batch ICS officer Tribhuvan Prasad Singh, better known as TP Singh, has a new variety of rose named after him.

“Tribhuvan”, as it is called, has been developed by South Asia’s leading nursery and rose breeder, K S Gopalaswamiengar Son, popularly known as KSG Son, at Chamarajpet, Bengaluru, over four and a half years. Though named in 2025, the rose would be part of KSG roses catalogue 2027-28, and available for sale and exhibition only in 2027. T P Singh (1913-1975), who later served as the country’s finance and agriculture secretary, is often recalled as one of leading policymakers post Independence.

KSG Son chief executive officer Sarvesh Sarvesh Sriram told The Indian Express: “We decided to name a rose variety after T P Singh to honour his invaluable contribution to the formation of the country’s policies in its nascent years since Independence as secretary with Planning Commission and later finance and agriculture secretary. Second, he and his family have been big promoters of a great variety of roses for the last five decades. TP Singh was also among one of our patrons.”

Sriram said they chose to develop a hybrid of ‘Black Prince and Corrida’ to be named after TP Singh as he had great admiration for roses of deep crimson colour.