Chandigarh’s Mohini Singh awarded British Order of Merit

Honour conferred by Queen in recognition of consular officer’s role in providing support to British nationals during Covid lockdown last year

Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II has appointed Indian citizen Mohini Singh, who works at the British deputy high commission in Chandigarh as a consular officer, as an honorary Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE). This honour is conferred by the Queen in recognition of Mohini’s services to British people during the Covid-19 pandemic, a press release from the deputy high commission said on Tuesday.

Mohini Singh, who works at the British deputy high commission in Chandigarh as a consular officer, has been awarded the British Order of Merit for her role in supporting British nationals during the Covid-19 lockdown. (HT Photo)

In 2020, the UK Government organised 66 special chartered flights, running from April 8 to June 5, which brought back nearly 18,000 passengers from 32 locations across India to the UK.

The lockdown coincided with a peak period for British people travelling to Punjab to see family and visit Golden Temple. To meet the extraordinary demand from the region, Amritsar airport saw the largest number of UK Government chartered flights across the whole of India – with the deployment team on the ground made up of staff from the British high commission in Delhi and the deputy high commission in Chandigarh.

As a consular officer, Mohini’s role was to help provide support and advice to British nationals trying to get home.

One of UK’s largest repatriation ops in 2020

Caroline Rowett, the British deputy high commissioner in Chandigarh, said: “Mohini worked tirelessly to support affected British people during the lockdown and the ban on international travel due to the Covid-19 pandemic. During the lockdown, over 8,000 people were successfully repatriated from Amritsar on 29 flights, one of the UK’s largest repatriation operations in 2020.”

An elated Mohini Singh said: “I’m delighted to receive this award and grateful to be a part of the UK in India network. It has been a challenging year, but my family and colleagues have been extremely supportive, empathetic and unfailingly kind.”

Mohini, who is from Chandigarh, has been working at the British deputy high commission in Chandigarh since 2018. She holds a Master’s in Public Affairs from the University of Texas, Austin, USA.

The Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) is awarded for an outstanding achievement or service to the community.