 | This articleneeds additional citations forverification. Please helpimprove this article byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Chidambaram Subramaniam" – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(July 2017) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
Chidambaram Subramaniam | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Lok Sabha portrait | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Governor of Maharashtra | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 15 February 1990 – 9 January 1993 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Appointed by | Ramaswamy Venkataraman | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prime Minister | V. P. Singh Chandra Shekhar P. V. Narasimha Rao | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chief Ministers | Sharad Pawar Sudhakarrao Naik | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Chittatosh Mookerjee(acting) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | P. C. Alexander | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Union Minister of Defence | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 28 July 1979 – 14 January 1980 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prime Minister | Charan Singh | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Jagjivan Ram | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Indira Gandhi | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Union Minister of Finance | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 10 October 1974 – 24 March 1977 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prime Minister | Indira Gandhi | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Yashwantrao Chavan | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Haribhai M. Patel | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Union Minister of Agriculture | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 3 July 1974 – 10 October 1974 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prime Minister | Indira Gandhi | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Jagjivan Ram | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 9 June 1964 – 13 March 1967 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prime Minister | Lal Bahadur Shastri Gulzarilal Nanda Indira Gandhi | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Swaran Singh | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Jagjivan Ram | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal details | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | (1910-01-30)30 January 1910 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Died | 7 November 2000(2000-11-07) (aged 90) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Political party | Indian National Congress Indian National Congress (Urs) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Alma mater | University of Madras | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Awards | Bharat Ratna (1998) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Chidambaram Subramaniam (commonly known asCS) (30 January 1910 – 7 November 2000), was an Indian politician and independence activist. He served asMinister of Finance andMinister of Defence in the union cabinet. He later served as theGovernor of Maharashtra. As theMinister for Food and Agriculture, he ushered theIndian Green Revolution, an era of self-sufficiency in food production along withM. S. Swaminathan, B. Sivaraman andNorman E. Borlaug.[1] He was awardedBharat Ratna, Indian's highest civilian award, in 1998, for his role in ushering Green Revolution.
Subramaniam was born in Senguttaipalayam a village nearPollachi inCoimbatore district,Presidency of Fort St. George (now theTamil Nadu state).[2] Subramaniam completed his early education in Pollachi before moving to Chennai where he did hisB.Sc in Physics at thePresidency College, Chennai (affiliated to theUniversity of Madras). Later he graduated with degree in law fromMadras Law college,Chennai (then affiliated to the same university). During his college days, he startedVanamalar Sangam and published a magazine calledPithan fromGobichettipalayam along withPeriyasaamy Thooran,K. M. Ramasami Gounder,O. V. Alagesan and Justice Palanisami.[3] His inspiration was his uncleSwami Chidbhavananda.
Subramaniam was an active member of theCivil disobedience movement against the British during his college days. He was imprisoned during theQuit India Movement in 1942.[2] He was later elected to theConstituent Assembly and had a hand in the framing of theConstitution of India. He was a minister of Education, Law and Finance forMadras State from 1952 to 1962 under chief ministersRajaji andK. Kamaraj. He was the First Leader of the House in the Madras Legislative Assembly for the entire duration. He was elected to theLok Sabha in 1962 and was the Minister for Steel and Mines. Subsequently, he served as theMinister for Food and Agriculture. He also worked as theDeputy Chairman of the Planning Commission from 2 May 1971 to 22 July 1972.
Along withM. S. Swaminathan andB. Sivaraman, Subramaniam was the architect of India's modern agricultural development policy, after the success of his programme which led to a record production of wheat in 1972 termed as theIndian Green Revolution. As Minister for Food and Agriculture, he introduced high-yielding varieties of seeds and more intensive application of fertilizers which paved the way for increased output of cereals and attainment of self-sufficiency in food-grains in the country. About his contribution, Dr.Norman E. Borlaug, writes:[1]
The vision and influence of Mr. Subramaniam in bringing about agricultural change and in the very necessary political decisions needed to make the new approach effective, should never be under-emphasized. The groundwork for this advance (in the production of wheat) was solidly laid during that period (1964–67) when Mr. Subramaniam was the guiding political force instituting change.
He appointed M. S. Swaminathan, who played a major role in green revolution andVerghese Kurien as the chairman ofNational Dairy Development Board when he ushered theIndian White Revolution. Kurien says,that the key role played by Subramaniam in the whole thing (Operation Flood) is hardly mentioned. He founded the National Agro Foundation, Chennai andBharathidasan Institute of Management, Tiruchirappalli.[4]
When theIndian National Congress split in 1969, he became the interim president of theCongress (R) faction led byIndira Gandhi. Later, he was appointedMinister of Finance in the union cabinet by Indira Gandhi. He advised her to devalueIndian rupee and was the finance minister duringthe Emergency in 1976.[3] After the Emergency, he parted ways with Indira and joined thebreakaway Congress faction led byD. Devaraj Urs andKasu Brahmananda Reddy.
He was appointed the unionMinister of Defence byCharan Singh in 1979. He became theGovernor of Maharashtra in 1990. He resigned after his criticism of the style of functioning of the then Indian Prime MinisterP. V. Narasimha Rao.[5]
Subramaniam died on 7 November 2000 at the age of 90 inChennai.[6] At his death, he was the last surviving cabinet minister who had served underJawaharlal Nehru, as well as the last surviving cabinet minister from the Shastri and Nanda cabinets.
A commemorative coin in his honour, was released by the Government of India in August 2010.[9] A commemorative postage stamp was also released in his honour in 2010.
Shri Chidambaram Subramaniam Award - For Excellence in Character has been instituted by Bharatiya Vidya Bhavans which is awarded to its students annually.
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Minister of Agriculture 1964–1966 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission 1971–1972 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Finance Minister of India 1975–1977 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Defence Minister of India 1979–1980 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Governor of Maharashtra 1990–1993 | Succeeded by |
| Departments |
|  | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Secretaries |
| |||||||||||||||||
| Finance ministers |
| |||||||||||||||||
| Ministers of state for finance | ||||||||||||||||||
| Chief Economic Advisor | ||||||||||||||||||
| Finance commissions | ||||||||||||||||||
| Department of Commerce |
| | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPIIT |
| |||||||||||||||
| Secretaries |
| |||||||||||||||
| Ministers | ||||||||||||||||
| MOS |
| |||||||||||||||
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
