| Chief Justice P. R. Gajendragadkar | |
|---|---|
| Born | March 16, 1901 Gajendra-Gad, India |
| Died | June 12, 1981 |
| Citizenship | Indian |
| Alma mater | Karnatak College, Dharwar, Deccan College (Pune), ILS Law College |
Pralhad Balacharya Gajendragadkar (Prahlad-Acharya) (March 16, 1901 - June 12, 1981) originally from Gajendra-Gad, a historic fort and town in Karnataka, South India[1][2] was Chief Justice of India from February 1964 to March 1966.
Contents |
Pralhad's father Bal-Acharya (Teacher) was a Sanskrit Vidwan (scholar). Prahlad-Acharya, the youngest son of Bal-Acharya spread the fame of the family name Gajendra-Gadkar name. He followed his older brother Ashvathama-Acharys to Mumbai and carried the torch of the Gajendragadkar tradition in Nyaya (Law) to the western world. He passed M.A. from Deccan College (Pune) in 1924 and LL.B. with honors from the ILS Law College in 1926 and joined the Bombay Bar on the Appellate side. In the early days, he edited the 'Hindu Law Quarterly. His critical edition of the classic 'Dattaka Mimamsa' earned him a great reputation for scholarship. He became the acknowledged leader of the Bombay Bar, well-known for his forensic skill and legal acumen.
In 1945, he was appointed a Judge of the Bombay High Court. In January 1956, he was elevated to the Supreme Court Bench and rose to become the Chief Justice of India in 1964. His contribution to the development of Constitutional and Industrial Law has been hailed as great and unique.
At the request of the Government of India, he headed a number of commissions such as the Central Law Commission, National Commission on Labour and the Bank Award Commission. At the request of Indira Gandhi, then the Prime Minister of India, he held the honorary office of the Gandhigram Rural Institute in Southern India.
He served twice as the President of Social Reform Conference and organized campaigns for eradicating the evils of casteism, untouchability, superstition and obscurantism to promote national integration and unity.
Prahlad-Acharya also carried forward the GajendraGadkar tradition of Vedanta and Mimasa. He served as the General Editor of 'The Ten Classical Upanishads', a series sponsored by the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan. Like his great father, Prahlad-Acharya was also a 'Mukhasta-vidwan'.
In 1972, Gajendragadkar was awarded the Padma Vibhushan award from the Government of India.
| Legal offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Bhuvaneshwar Prasad Sinha |
Chief Justice of India 31 January 1964 – 15 March 1966 |
Succeeded by A. K. Sarkar |