K.S. Hegde
Encyclopedia
Kawdoor Sadananda Hegde was an India
n jurist
, politician
and educationalist.
Hegde served as a member of the Rajya Sabha
from 1952 to 1957, holding office as its vice chairman between 1952 and 1953. He served as Judge of the Supreme Court of India
between 1967 and 1973, as Speaker of the 6th
Lok Sabha
, and was the founder of the Nitte Education Trust, which went on to establish institutes including the NMAM Institute of Technology
and K S Hegde Medical Academy amongst others.
K. S. Hegde and Baharul Islam are the only Supreme Court judges to have served in the Parliament of India
prior to their appointment to the judiciary, although Chief Justice Ranganath Mishra served in the legislature after his retirement from the bench (as did Justices Hegde and Islam).
family of Kawdoor in Karkala taluk
, Udupi district
, Karnataka
, India
. Born the son of a wealthy aristocrat Kawdoor Subhayya Hegde and Irmaadi Lingamma Heggadhi, he was the last progeny among a brood of seven siblings of the Bunt
couple. His elder siblings were Laxmi, Shrinivas, Radha, Rukhmini, Ramayya and Kamala. Young Sadananda was born many years after the last daughter Kamala and as is the widely held belief, being the youngest in the family was undoubtedly the most pampered. He was exceptionally brilliant in studies.
He was educated at the Kawdoor Elementary School and the Karkala Board High School. Subsequently, he was an alumnus of the St. Alosius College, Mangalore, the Presidency College, Madras and the Law College, Madras. Primarily an affluent agriculturist, Hegde also possessed a rich and varied judicial experience. He began his legal profession in 1933 and worked as Government Pleader and Public Prosecutor during the period 1947-51. He was a champion of the farming community and he always tried to promote their cause. Hegde was elected to the Rajya Sabha as a Congress Party nominee in 1952. Hegde served the Upper House till 1957 and made outstanding contributions to its deliberations. He was a member of the Panel of Chairmen and also a member of the Public Accounts Committee and of the Rules Committee.
During this period, in 1954, Hegde was chosen as an alternate delegate to the Ninth Session of the United Nations General Assembly and served on its Second Committee with distinction. He was also a member of the Railway Corruption Enquiry Committee and of the Governing Body of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research.
In 1957, Hegde resigned from the Rajya Sabha when he was appointed a Judge of the Mysore High Court. As a Judge, he earned widespread respect and approbation for his judicial pronouncements. He served on the bench of the Mysore High Court till 1966, when he was appointed as the first Chief Justice of the Delhi and Himachal Pradesh High Court. Hegde had already distinguished himself as a Judge and as the Chief Justice of the High Court, he delivered many a judgment which were really path-breaking. In 1967, he was appointed by the President of India as a Judge of the Supreme Court in which capacity, he delivered many judgments of far-reaching significance.
He was known for his uprightness and authority and as a learned Judge who always gave precedence to the rule of law than anything else. As far as the independence of the Judiciary was concerned, he was uncompromising and critical of interference, whatsoever, on the part of the Executive in the affairs of the Judiciary. A man of matchless honesty and utmost integrity, Hegde was convinced that a just social order could not be built up by any society if it was corrupt. And no amount of sacrifice could build a Welfare State unless there was an efficient and honest administration.
On 30 April 1973, Hegde tendered his resignation, as a matter of principle, when one of his junior colleagues was appointed as the Chief Justice of India.
Thereafter, Hegde once again started taking an active part in socio-political movements. In 1977, he was elected to the Sixth Lok Sabha from the Bangalore South constituency on a Janata Party ticket. He was appointed by the then Speaker of the Lok Sabha, Dr. Neelam Sanjiva Reddy as the Chairman of the Committee of Privileges, a post he occupied till 20 July 1977.
On 21 July 1977, Hegde was elected to the office of the Speaker following the resignation of Dr. Neelam Sanjiva Reddy to contest the election to the office of the President of India. There was only one motion before the Lok Sabha proposing Hegde's name for the office of the Speaker which was carried unanimously. The fact that Hegde was elected as Speaker even though he was a first timer in the House spoke of his stature, ability and acceptability to all sections of the House.
Speaker Hegde believed in the rule of law and fair play. Maintaining the supremacy of Parliament was uppermost in his mind. It was his constant endeavour to give opportunities to all members to participate in the proceedings of the House to the extent possible. He was convinced that the effectiveness of the House could be improved only when members maintained decorum and discipline and observed the rules scrupulously. He once ruled that when a member persisted in speaking in spite of the Speaker asking him not to speak, the Speaker, under his inherent powers, could direct that the relevant proceedings be not recorded.
Hegde strongly felt the need for a continuous review of procedures and practices so that they were in tune with the emerging needs. However, he was equally convinced that the modifications should be such that they helped in making the best utilisation of the parliamentary floor time in the interest of the nation.
Speaker Hegde was for devising appropriate institutional arrangements within the Legislatures to facilitate realisation of parliamentary aspirations of members. He also believed that in admission of notices, in giving consent to proposals for discussion and in various other situations, the Speaker should show enlightened accommodation, keeping in mind the basic criteria of the larger public interest.
Hegde had given many important rulings as Speaker. In response to an unstarred question on 25 July 1977, the concerned Minister stated that he would be placing the relevant document in the Parliament Library for consultation by members. The matter was subsequently raised by a member under rule 377 on 1 August 1977. Speaker Hegde thereupon observed that whenever any document was to be placed for the benefit of the members, it should be laid on the Table of the House and not merely placed in the Parliament Library.
Hegde was keen to improve the effectiveness of the members so that they could adequately perform the multifarious roles required of them. He was for rendering effective research and reference assistance to the members, particularly new members, so that they might frame their questions and motions appropriately and also could get factual information and data for making their participation effective. Keeping this objective in mind, Speaker Hegde addressed a letter personally to the members of the Lok Sabha inviting them to make use of the Library, Reference, Research, Documentation and Information Services.
Hegde firmly believed in international peace and cooperation. He, therefore, accorded a great deal of importance to Inter- Parliamentary cooperation. He led the Indian Parliamentary Delegations to the 23rd, 24th and 25th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conferences held in Ottawa (Canada) in September 1977, in Kingston (Jamaica) in September 1978 and in Willington (New Zealand) in November–December 1979, respectively. Hegde also led the Indian Parliamentary Delegations to the 65th hirer-Parliamentary Conference held in Bonn (former Federal Republic of Germany) in September 1978 and the 66th Inter-Parliamentary Conference held in Caracas (Venezuela) in September 1979. Besides, he participated in the Meeting of the Sub-Committee of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association on 'The CPA and the Future' held in London in January 1978 and the Meeting of the Standing Committee of the Conference of Commonwealth Speakers and Presiding Officers at Nassau (The Bahamas), also in January 1978.
Speaker Hegde attended the 5th Conference of the Commonwealth Speakers and Presiding Officers held in Canberra (Australia) in August–September 1978 and the Meetings of the Executive Committee of the CPA held in Perth (Australia) in May 1979 as regional representative for Asia. Hegde also led Indian Parliamentary Delegations to Romania, Bulgaria and Poland in June 1979 and to the former Soviet Union in June–July 1979.
A voracious reader, Hegde had to his credit some acclaimed publications like Crisis in the judiciary and Directive Principles.
During the short period that he remained the Speaker of the Lok Sabha, K.S. Hegde made a distinctive contribution not only in upholding the high office of the Speaker but also in consolidating parliamentary institutions in the country.
Hegde died on 24 May 1990 at his native place at the age of 81.
and a unit of the Nitte Education Trust, was named after Hegde. The Justice KS Hegde Charitable Foundation, a trust dedicated to the advancement of education and community development in Mangalore
, was established in memory of Hegde. Each year, the foundation awards the Justice K.S. Hegde Foundation Awards; previous winners include Indian prime minister Manmohan Singh
.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n jurist
Jurist
A jurist or jurisconsult is a professional who studies, develops, applies, or otherwise deals with the law. The term is widely used in American English, but in the United Kingdom and many Commonwealth countries it has only historical and specialist usage...
, politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
and educationalist.
Hegde served as a member of the Rajya Sabha
Rajya Sabha
The Rajya Sabha or Council of States is the upper house of the Parliament of India. Rajya means "state," and Sabha means "assembly hall" in Sanskrit. Membership is limited to 250 members, 12 of whom are chosen by the President of India for their expertise in specific fields of art, literature,...
from 1952 to 1957, holding office as its vice chairman between 1952 and 1953. He served as Judge of the Supreme Court of India
Supreme Court of India
The Supreme Court of India is the highest judicial forum and final court of appeal as established by Part V, Chapter IV of the Constitution of India...
between 1967 and 1973, as Speaker of the 6th
6th Lok Sabha
The Lok Sabha is the lower house in the Parliament of India. The 6th Lok Sabha, which ran from 23 March 1977 - 22 August 1979 was elected in February and March 1977.-Important members:* Speaker:...
Lok Sabha
Lok Sabha
The Lok Sabha or House of the People is the lower house of the Parliament of India. Members of the Lok Sabha are elected by direct election under universal adult suffrage. As of 2009, there have been fifteen Lok Sabhas elected by the people of India...
, and was the founder of the Nitte Education Trust, which went on to establish institutes including the NMAM Institute of Technology
NMAM Institute of Technology
NMAM Institute of Technology is an autonomous engineering college in Nitte, Karnataka, India. Established in 1986, it initially started with the following programs - computer science, mechanical engineering, and electrical engineering...
and K S Hegde Medical Academy amongst others.
K. S. Hegde and Baharul Islam are the only Supreme Court judges to have served in the Parliament of India
Parliament of India
The Parliament of India is the supreme legislative body in India. Founded in 1919, the Parliament alone possesses legislative supremacy and thereby ultimate power over all political bodies in India. The Parliament of India comprises the President and the two Houses, Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha...
prior to their appointment to the judiciary, although Chief Justice Ranganath Mishra served in the legislature after his retirement from the bench (as did Justices Hegde and Islam).
Early life
Hegde hailed from the aristocratic Nayara Bettu BuntBunt (community)
Bunt , previously spelled Bant, are a community of erstwhile nobility, feudatory and gentry from the region of Tulu Nadu in the south west of India which comprises the districts of Udupi and Dakshina Kannada in the Indian state of Karnataka and Kasaragod taluk of Kerala...
family of Kawdoor in Karkala taluk
Karkala
Karkala is a town and the headquarters of Karkala taluk in the Udupi district of Karnataka, India. Located about 380 km from Bangalore, it lies near the Western Ghats....
, Udupi district
Udupi district
Udupi district , ಉಡುಪಿ ಜಿಲ್ಲೆ) in the Karnataka state of India was created in August 1997. The three northern taluks, Udupi, Kundapur and Karkal, were separated from Dakshina Kannada District to form Udupi district. Udupi district is surrounded by Uttara Kannada district in north, Dakshina Kannada...
, Karnataka
Karnataka
Karnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. Born the son of a wealthy aristocrat Kawdoor Subhayya Hegde and Irmaadi Lingamma Heggadhi, he was the last progeny among a brood of seven siblings of the Bunt
Bunt (community)
Bunt , previously spelled Bant, are a community of erstwhile nobility, feudatory and gentry from the region of Tulu Nadu in the south west of India which comprises the districts of Udupi and Dakshina Kannada in the Indian state of Karnataka and Kasaragod taluk of Kerala...
couple. His elder siblings were Laxmi, Shrinivas, Radha, Rukhmini, Ramayya and Kamala. Young Sadananda was born many years after the last daughter Kamala and as is the widely held belief, being the youngest in the family was undoubtedly the most pampered. He was exceptionally brilliant in studies.
Political career
The election of K.S. Hegde as the Speaker of the Sixth Lok Sabha was unprecedented; he was chosen to occupy the high office in his very first term as a member of the Lok Sabha. His eminent judicial background, coupled with legislative experience, enabled him to ensure smooth conduct of the proceedings of the House in a manner that won him encomiums from all sections of the Lok Sabha. True to his conviction, he preserved and sustained the authority of the Chair all through his tenure.He was educated at the Kawdoor Elementary School and the Karkala Board High School. Subsequently, he was an alumnus of the St. Alosius College, Mangalore, the Presidency College, Madras and the Law College, Madras. Primarily an affluent agriculturist, Hegde also possessed a rich and varied judicial experience. He began his legal profession in 1933 and worked as Government Pleader and Public Prosecutor during the period 1947-51. He was a champion of the farming community and he always tried to promote their cause. Hegde was elected to the Rajya Sabha as a Congress Party nominee in 1952. Hegde served the Upper House till 1957 and made outstanding contributions to its deliberations. He was a member of the Panel of Chairmen and also a member of the Public Accounts Committee and of the Rules Committee.
During this period, in 1954, Hegde was chosen as an alternate delegate to the Ninth Session of the United Nations General Assembly and served on its Second Committee with distinction. He was also a member of the Railway Corruption Enquiry Committee and of the Governing Body of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research.
In 1957, Hegde resigned from the Rajya Sabha when he was appointed a Judge of the Mysore High Court. As a Judge, he earned widespread respect and approbation for his judicial pronouncements. He served on the bench of the Mysore High Court till 1966, when he was appointed as the first Chief Justice of the Delhi and Himachal Pradesh High Court. Hegde had already distinguished himself as a Judge and as the Chief Justice of the High Court, he delivered many a judgment which were really path-breaking. In 1967, he was appointed by the President of India as a Judge of the Supreme Court in which capacity, he delivered many judgments of far-reaching significance.
He was known for his uprightness and authority and as a learned Judge who always gave precedence to the rule of law than anything else. As far as the independence of the Judiciary was concerned, he was uncompromising and critical of interference, whatsoever, on the part of the Executive in the affairs of the Judiciary. A man of matchless honesty and utmost integrity, Hegde was convinced that a just social order could not be built up by any society if it was corrupt. And no amount of sacrifice could build a Welfare State unless there was an efficient and honest administration.
On 30 April 1973, Hegde tendered his resignation, as a matter of principle, when one of his junior colleagues was appointed as the Chief Justice of India.
Thereafter, Hegde once again started taking an active part in socio-political movements. In 1977, he was elected to the Sixth Lok Sabha from the Bangalore South constituency on a Janata Party ticket. He was appointed by the then Speaker of the Lok Sabha, Dr. Neelam Sanjiva Reddy as the Chairman of the Committee of Privileges, a post he occupied till 20 July 1977.
On 21 July 1977, Hegde was elected to the office of the Speaker following the resignation of Dr. Neelam Sanjiva Reddy to contest the election to the office of the President of India. There was only one motion before the Lok Sabha proposing Hegde's name for the office of the Speaker which was carried unanimously. The fact that Hegde was elected as Speaker even though he was a first timer in the House spoke of his stature, ability and acceptability to all sections of the House.
Speaker Hegde believed in the rule of law and fair play. Maintaining the supremacy of Parliament was uppermost in his mind. It was his constant endeavour to give opportunities to all members to participate in the proceedings of the House to the extent possible. He was convinced that the effectiveness of the House could be improved only when members maintained decorum and discipline and observed the rules scrupulously. He once ruled that when a member persisted in speaking in spite of the Speaker asking him not to speak, the Speaker, under his inherent powers, could direct that the relevant proceedings be not recorded.
Hegde strongly felt the need for a continuous review of procedures and practices so that they were in tune with the emerging needs. However, he was equally convinced that the modifications should be such that they helped in making the best utilisation of the parliamentary floor time in the interest of the nation.
Speaker Hegde was for devising appropriate institutional arrangements within the Legislatures to facilitate realisation of parliamentary aspirations of members. He also believed that in admission of notices, in giving consent to proposals for discussion and in various other situations, the Speaker should show enlightened accommodation, keeping in mind the basic criteria of the larger public interest.
Hegde had given many important rulings as Speaker. In response to an unstarred question on 25 July 1977, the concerned Minister stated that he would be placing the relevant document in the Parliament Library for consultation by members. The matter was subsequently raised by a member under rule 377 on 1 August 1977. Speaker Hegde thereupon observed that whenever any document was to be placed for the benefit of the members, it should be laid on the Table of the House and not merely placed in the Parliament Library.
Hegde was keen to improve the effectiveness of the members so that they could adequately perform the multifarious roles required of them. He was for rendering effective research and reference assistance to the members, particularly new members, so that they might frame their questions and motions appropriately and also could get factual information and data for making their participation effective. Keeping this objective in mind, Speaker Hegde addressed a letter personally to the members of the Lok Sabha inviting them to make use of the Library, Reference, Research, Documentation and Information Services.
Hegde firmly believed in international peace and cooperation. He, therefore, accorded a great deal of importance to Inter- Parliamentary cooperation. He led the Indian Parliamentary Delegations to the 23rd, 24th and 25th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conferences held in Ottawa (Canada) in September 1977, in Kingston (Jamaica) in September 1978 and in Willington (New Zealand) in November–December 1979, respectively. Hegde also led the Indian Parliamentary Delegations to the 65th hirer-Parliamentary Conference held in Bonn (former Federal Republic of Germany) in September 1978 and the 66th Inter-Parliamentary Conference held in Caracas (Venezuela) in September 1979. Besides, he participated in the Meeting of the Sub-Committee of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association on 'The CPA and the Future' held in London in January 1978 and the Meeting of the Standing Committee of the Conference of Commonwealth Speakers and Presiding Officers at Nassau (The Bahamas), also in January 1978.
Speaker Hegde attended the 5th Conference of the Commonwealth Speakers and Presiding Officers held in Canberra (Australia) in August–September 1978 and the Meetings of the Executive Committee of the CPA held in Perth (Australia) in May 1979 as regional representative for Asia. Hegde also led Indian Parliamentary Delegations to Romania, Bulgaria and Poland in June 1979 and to the former Soviet Union in June–July 1979.
A voracious reader, Hegde had to his credit some acclaimed publications like Crisis in the judiciary and Directive Principles.
During the short period that he remained the Speaker of the Lok Sabha, K.S. Hegde made a distinctive contribution not only in upholding the high office of the Speaker but also in consolidating parliamentary institutions in the country.
Hegde died on 24 May 1990 at his native place at the age of 81.
Legacy
The K.S. Hegde Medical Academy, a medical college in DeralakatteDeralakatte
Deralakatte is a village on the outskirts of Mangalooru city in Dakshina Kannada district of Karnataka state in India. It was a hillock with a minor population many years ago. It is on the way to Mangalore University, Konaje from the heart of Mangalore city...
and a unit of the Nitte Education Trust, was named after Hegde. The Justice KS Hegde Charitable Foundation, a trust dedicated to the advancement of education and community development in Mangalore
Mangalore
Mangalore is the chief port city of the Indian state of Karnataka. It is located about west of the state capital, Bangalore. Mangalore lies between the Arabian Sea and the Western Ghat mountain ranges, and is the administrative headquarters of the Dakshina Kannada district in south western...
, was established in memory of Hegde. Each year, the foundation awards the Justice K.S. Hegde Foundation Awards; previous winners include Indian prime minister Manmohan Singh
Manmohan Singh
Manmohan Singh is the 13th and current Prime Minister of India. He is the only Prime Minister since Jawaharlal Nehru to return to power after completing a full five-year term. A Sikh, he is the first non-Hindu to occupy the office. Singh is also the 7th Prime Minister belonging to the Indian...
.