Career
He was Army Minister and later Revenue minister in the government of Maharaja Hari Singh of Jammu and Kashmir State. On 10 August 1947 he was brought out of retirement to be the Prime Minister at a turbulent time on the eve of the independence of India and Pakistan. He steered the "Standstill Agreement" that Kashmir State wanted to sign with India and Pakistan.The agreement was not signed by India, before further deliberations were done Pakistan assisted raiders had marched into Kashmir state.
Major General Janak Singh asked to be relieved and was replaced by Mehr Chand Mahajan on 15 October 1947.On 13 September 1947 Maharaja Hari Singh had requested for loan of the services of Lieutenant
Colonel Kashmir Singh Katoch (son of Major-General Janak Singh) of the Indian Army to act as the Military Adviser to the Maharaja. This request was granted by the Indian government.
Lieutenant Colonel Kashmir Singh Katoch was the eldest of the three sons of Major General Janak Singh. He ultimately retired as a Lieutenant General in the Indian Army.
The other two sons also served in the Indian Army, one in the 5 Gorkha Rifles Brigadier Devendra Singh Katoch, AVSM and the youngest Lieutenant Colonel Rajendra Singh Katoch followed his father into the J&K State forces where he was commissioned into the J&K Bodyguard Cavalry.