NEW DELHI: Renowned journalist and former editor of The Times of India Sham Lal passed away this morning. He was 95.

Lal is survived by his wife, two daughters and a son. One of his daughters Neena Vyas is a journalist, working with the Hindu.

For the last several years, Lal had been writing regularly for The Telegraph and occasionally for the literary journal Biblio: A Review of Books.

Information and broadcasting minister Priyaranjan Dasmunsi condoled Lal's passing away in a message: “I am deeply pained to learn about the sudden demise of veteran journalist Sham Lal. He was a thorough professional who would never compromise on the quality of his ‘report’ and was highly respected for his upright writing. Widely read and incredibly lucid, Sham Lal had a deep understanding of a wide range of subjects varying from politics to education to neo-liberalism. His sterling qualities of heart, endeared him to all who came in contact with him. His demise is a great loss for the country.”

Born in 1912, Lal took a master's degree in English Literature in 1933. He joined the Hindustan Times in 1934 and moved to The Times of India early in 1950. He became the editor of TOI in 1967 and retired in 1978.