1. Maharaja Karni Singh ji, known as Dr Karni Singh, was from 1950 the last Maharaja of Bikaner State to hold the title of Maharaja of Bikaner, officially, until 1971, when the privy purse and all the royal titles were abolished by the Republic of India.
Karni Singh was a politician, serving as a member of the Lok Sabha for twenty-five years, from 1952 to 1977, and an international clay pigeon and skeet champion.
Karni Singh saw active service in the Second World War, serving in the Middle East with his grandfather, General Sir Ganga Singh, the 23rd Maharaja of Bikaner.
Prince Karni succeeded his father, Lieutenant-General Maharaja Sir Sadul Singh, in 1950.
In 1952, the young Maharaja Karni Singh was elected Member of Parliament in the Lok Sabha of India from Bikaner constituency as an independent candidate, serving on several consultative committees of different ministries and holding his seat until 1977.
Karni Singh was an ardent supporter of the Rajasthani language and argued for its inclusion in the 14th schedule of the Indian Constitution.
Maharaja Karni Singh attended his last Olympic Games in 1980, and he died on 4 September 1988.
Karni Singh was the elder son of Maharaja Sadul Singh, and his name was chosen after their deity's name Karni mata.
Karni Singh's daughter Princess Rajyashree Kumari was a first class shooting sportswoman who received the Arjuna Award in 1968.
Karni Singh was succeeded by his son Narendra Singh, who has 3 daughters: Daksha Kumari, Siddhi Kumari, and Mahima Kumari.
Karni Singh won the National Championship in Clay Pigeon Trap and Skeet seventeen times and represented India at all levels of international competition.
Karni Singh was the first Indian to compete at five Olympic Games, which he did from 1960 to 1980, missing the Games of 1976, representing India at clay pigeon shooting at the Summer Olympics in Rome, 1960, Tokyo, 1964, Mexico, 1968, Munich, 1972, and Moscow, 1980.
Karni Singh represented his country in the World Shooting Championships at Oslo in 1961, and the next year won a silver medal at the 38th World Shooting Championships in Cairo, after tie for 1st place, captaining the Indian team.
Karni Singh competed in the World Shooting Championships at Wiesbaden in 1966, again captaining the team, and at Bologna in 1967 and San Sebastian in 1969.
Karni Singh competed in the Asian Shooting Championships at Tokyo in 1967 and at Seoul in 1971, where he won a gold medal.
Karni Singh won a silver medal at the Asian Games in Tehran, 1974, and another in the Asian Games at Kuala Lumpur in 1975.
Karni Singh documented his shooting experiences in a book of memoirs called From Rome to Moscow.
Karni Singh was a keen player of tennis, golf, and cricket, and held a private pilot's licence.
Karni Singh was a member of the Asiatic Society of India, the National Sports Club of India, the Cricket Club of India, the Western India Automobile Association, the Bombay Natural History Society, the Bombay Flying Club, the Bombay Presidency Golf Club, the Delhi Golf Club, the Clay Pigeon Shooting Association, the Willingdon Sports Club, and the Royal Wimbledon Golf Club.
Dr Karni Singh Shooting Range situated near the historic Tughlaqabad Fort in Delhi was named after him.