Sardar Avtar Singh Rawel was born on 24th July, 1929 in Amritsar. His father, Sardar Mehar Singh Rawel was a famous journalist and editor of the weekly paper, Khalsa Advocate. He completed his graduation from Khalsa College Amritsar and went on to get a Masters in Economics from Punjab University. He joined Punjab Government service in 1952 and retired as the Controller of Stores cum Additional Director, Department of Industries in 1987.
He was very grateful for the opportunities he had received all his life, and on retirement wanted to give back to the society. He believed that education was the key to progress and thought that this was a right every member of the community must have. During his last year in service he conceptualised the idea of helping underprivileged students who didn't have the means to pursue their academic dreams. In order to execute this vision, in 1987, he and his ten like minded friends got together and pooled in their money to form Guru Harkrishan Educational Society, with a very modest capital of Rs. 10 lakhs. Since inception, Mr Avtar Singh Rawel worked
tirelessly and passionately to grow the society both reputationally and in capital. The society's current capital stands at Rs. 2.5 crores and it has helped nearly 10,000 students financially to complete their education, which in turn assisted them in finding employment in their areas of expertise.
Mr Rawel was also a very good orator especially on matters of Sikh faith and was invited for lectures at various forums. He was honoured by the SGPC in 2010 for his philanthropy and contribution to the society.
He passed away on 4th November, 2020 leaving behind a big void not just for the family but also for the society.