Kirpal Singh Chugh was an Indian nephrologist from Patti, a neighbouring town to Amritsar in the Indian state of Punjab. He was reportedly the first qualified Indian nephrologist and is considered by many to have been the father of Nephrology in India for his pioneering efforts in starting the first medical department in the discipline in 1956 and establishing the first medical course in nephrology (DM) at the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh.