Early Life
V.T. Krishnamachari was born on 8 February 1881 in Vangal, Tamil Nadu. He completed his education and received a BA BL degree.
After completing his education he joined the Indian Civil Services and was a prominent civil servant. He was the Diwan of the State of Baroda (1927-1944) and a member of the Reserve Bank Committee in British India (1930-1934).
Krishnamachari served as the Chairman of the Committee of Ministers, Chamber of Princes (1941-1944) and the Prime Minister of the State of Jaipur (1946-1949). He was also the Indian delegate to the Assembly of League of Nations and the advisor to the Indian delegation to the Imperial Conference.
Role in India’s Independence Movement
Although, he played many important roles in the public affairs of the country, not much is known about his role India’s Independence Movement.
Contribution to Constitution Making
Krishnamachari was a representative of the princely State of Jaipur in the Assembly. He suggested a few major amendments while he was a part of the Assembly. His interventions were mostly related to the powers of the Centre and the Provinces.
Later Contributions
Krishnamachari was known as an excellent administrator and the man behind the Panchayati Raj system. He served as the Chairman of the Indian States Finances Enquiry Committee (1948-1949) and the Indian Fiscal Commission (1949).
His main contribution as an administrator was when he served as the Deputy/Vice Chairman of the Planning Commission (1953-60). He supported and worked towards better agricultural production and irrigation. Under his guidance the Planning Commission launched the Community Development program and he strongly believed that villages were central to India’s identity and democratic system.
Krishnamachari was the first chairman of the Indian Institute of Public Administration (1954-1963). He passed away on 14 February 1964.
Key Writings
Krishnamachari was an author to multiple books, some of which include – Fundamentals of Planning in India, Community Development in India and Planned Development and Efficient Administration.
- Krishnamachari believed that the only on the consent of the provinces should international agreements entered into by India be implemented, if they were on matters under the State List.
- He moved an amendment to remove the Centre’s power to recuisition land from the ambit of ‘Defence power’. He felt that the power to arbitrarily requisition land cannot exist during the times of peace and ordinary Land acquisition procedure must be followed.
- Sri V. T. Krishnamachari: A Life of Enduring Service by Tarlok Singh (Indian Journal of Public Administration, 1964)
- VT Krishnamachari: India’s master planner who laid the foundation of panchayati raj system by Achyut Mishra (The Print, 2018)
- Portrait of Sir V T Krishnamachari, Dewan of Baroda by Elizabeth Brunner (National Gallery of Modern Art, 1938)