Shri V.K.R.V. Rao

Shri V.K.R.V. Rao had great reverence for Shri Nathji.  Shri Nathji had called for the application forms from Delhi University through Sri Krishen Khanna who was living in Delhi those days. HH Pran Nath filled in the application forms and these were posted to Delhi. However, just because the application forms reached Delhi one day late, he was refused admission.  This came as a very great shock to Shri Nathji, and he immediately went down to Delhi to meet the Vice Chancellor of Delhi University, Shri V.K.R. Rao. Shri Nathji met the Vice Chancellor of Delhi University, Shri V.K.R.Rao, at his residence and spoke to him on spiritual themes. He also mentioned Pran Nath’s case and then left.

However, the University remained adamant in refusing the admission because of the application being one day late and there was nothing that the Vice Chancellor could do in the matter, despite his great reverence for Shri Nathji. 

When HH Priya Nathji passed his exams, Shri Nathji, painstakingly made handwritten copies of the boys’ mark sheets and school certificates, and got them attested, and posted to Delhi University. He wrote to Delhi University to accept the mark-sheets and academic records of the boys in lieu of the application forms, in case it took time to obtain the forms. When there was no reply from Delhi University for a long time, Shri Nathji went down to Delhi himself for the second time and tried to see the Vice Chancellor of the Delhi University, Dr. V.K.R. Rao at his residence. (bellow is the photograph of the Vice Chancellors Lodge, were Shri Nathji went to Meet Dr. Rao.)  Unfortunately the Vice Chancellor was ill at the time and so Shri Nathji could not get to see him. Later however Both HH Pran NAthji and HH Priya Nathji took admition in Allahabad University. 
V. K. R. V. Rao (Vijayendra Kasturi Ranga Varadaraja Rao), (1908–1991) was a prominent Indian economist, politician, professor and educator. He was born on July 8, 1908 at Kancheepuram in Tamil Nadu to Kasturirangachar and Bharati Bai.

He had his early schooling in Tindivanam and Madras (Chennai). He was a recipient of the Padma Vibhushan. He served as a Union Minister for the Education in 1971, elected as member for Bellary in 1967 and 1971. He was awarded a Ph.D. in 1937 from Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge. The title of his doctoral thesis was "The national income of British India, 1931-1932"

Rao received many awards that include: Cobdon Club Medal in Political Economy (1927), Lord Minto Scholarship (1927-29), Dakshina Fellowship (1927-29), Madan Memorial Lecture in Indian Currency, Bombay (1931), Sir Mangaldas Nathubhai Traveling Fellowship, Bombay University (1932-35), Carton Studentship in Social Sciences, Great Britain (1934-36), Sir Thomas Greshan Research Studentship, Caius College, Cambridge (1934-36) Adam Smith Prize, Cambridge and Dadabhai Nauroji Memorial Prize (1934). Academic Honours include Honorary D.Litt. from Delhi, Jabalpore, Indore, Andhra and Nagpur Universities, Hon D.C.L. from Oxford University, Honorary Professorship of Osmania, Andhra Universities, Hon. Fellowship of Conville and Caius College, Cambridge.

Rao established three noted institutions in Social Science research in India: Delhi School of Economics, Institute of Economic Growth and the Institute for Social and Economic Change. He was also instrumental in establishing the Indian Council of Social Science Research, Agro-economic Centres and Population Research Centres. He created an autonomous public body in the form of the Indian Council of Social Science Research. This was established under the Societies Registration Act (1860) on 30 July 1969 at Delhi. All the 3 institutions founded by him, even today maintain very close intra-institutional relationship. Another organization that owes its present prominence to Rao’s vision is the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade, Delhi. He was the third president of Delhi Karnataka Sangha.

He was awarded Padma Bhushan by the Government of India in 1974.

 In the international sphere he was one of the central forces behind the institution of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the IDA.

He served as Planning Adviser Food Department (1945-46), Food and Economic Adviser, Government of India at Washington (1946-47); Director, Delhi School of Economics, Delhi (1948-57); Vice Chancellor, University of Delhi (1957-60); Director, Institute of Economic Growth, Delhi (1960-63); Member, Planning Commission (1963-66); Union Cabinet Minister for Transport and Shipping (1967-69); Union Cabinet Minister for Education & Youth Services (1969-71); Director, Institute for Social and Economic Change, Bangalore (1972-77); National Professor, Government of India (1985-1990).

Notable among the learned bodies and conferences with which he was associated are: Corresponding Member, Institute de Science Economique, Paris; Correspondent, Royal Economic Society, London; Hon. Member, Japan Economic Research Centre, Delhi Karnataka Sangha, Tokyo; Member, Governing Body, International Association for Research in Income and Wealth; Member, Governing Body, International Economic Association; Member, Governing Body, International Institute for Educational Planning; President, Indian Agricultural Economic Conference; etc. etc. He was member of several Commissions and Committees, prominent among which being Member-Secretary, Bombay Economic Industrial Survey Committee; Chairman, U.N Sub-Commission for Economic Development (which led to the establishment of the soft loan window of the World Bank, the IDA; Member, Taxation Enquiry Commission, Member, National Income Committee; Member, Planning Advisory Board, Government of India; Chairman, U.N Sub-Committee on Experts on Levels of Living; etc.