Former Union Secretary PS Krishnan, who is regarded as a champion of the oppressed and exploited sections of society, passed away in New Delhi on Sunday. He was 86.
Widely regarded as the crusader of social justice in India, Krishnan was selected to the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) in 1956 and served in Andhra Pradesh. As a bureaucrat, he sought to take the government to the people, especially the Dalits, Adivasis, minorities and other oppressed communities, and worked towards eliminating caste inequalities.
He was the Secretary of the Ministry of Welfare in 1990 when the VP Singh-government implemented the Mandal Commission Report, which sought to provide 27% reservations to socially and educationally backward classes.
The former bureaucrat was also the first member - Secretary of National Commission for Backward Classes, Sakshi Post reported.
Krishnan was born in Thiruvananthapuram to an upper-caste Hindu family. He studied at the Maharaja’s Science College (known as University College today).
Inspired by progressive politics, he rejected the caste hierarchy and worked tirelessly for the upliftment of the victims of caste oppression.
He served as the Secretary of the Ministry of Welfare, which was later renamed as Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment in 1998.
He also worked on the formulation of other landmark legislation, such as the granting of constitutional status to the National Commission for the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, and the SC and ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act 1989, the Indian Express said in its homage to Krishnan.