Malcolm & Elizabeth Adiseshiah Trust
V.K.Natraj,
102 Sri Lakshmi Apartments, 4th Main Jayalakshmipuram Mysore 570012
Tel:821 4289140 mobile 9448117730
E mail:vknatraj@rediffmail.com and profvk@gmail.com
Date of birth: 6.10.1939
Nationality Indian
Educated in the University of Mysore and Pembroke College, Oxford, from where he obtained degrees in Economics including the Master of Letters.
Has worked in the University of York, U.K., and National Institute for Training in Industrial Engineering, Mumbai.
Joined the University of Mysore in 1970, worked initially in the Institute of Correspondence Course and Continuing Education, before joining the Institute of Development Studies in 1972. At IDS, he became Professor of Development Studies and also functioned as the Director.
Registrar, University of Mysore, and member of the Syndicate. Also President of the Mysore University Teachers’ Association for two terms.
Upon retirement from the University of Mysore, became Director of MIDS, Chennai, in 2000 and completed a five year term.
As Director of MIDS strongly supportive of the Dialogue in the Cauvery Family between the farmers of Tamilnadu and Karnataka. Functioned as one of the Co-ordinators of the dialogue and took the lead in organizing meetings in Chennai, Bangalore, Thanjavur and Mandya 2002-2004.
Was a Visiting Fellow at the Institute of Development Studies, University of Sussex, U.K. and until 2005 was a member of the Managing Committee of the Centre for the Future State in that Institute.
Member Indian Advisory Council of the Shastri Indo-Canadian Institute 1995-2005.
Member of the Expert Committee on Panchayat Raj (Chair P.R.Nayak), Government of Karnataka, 19996
Chair of the Working Group on Decentralisation, Tamilnadu State Planning Commission, 2002.
Member of the Planning Board, Periyar University, Salem.
Associated with training programmes in the State Institute of Rural Development, Mysore.
Directed a major research study on Panchayats titled: "From Delegation to Devolution: a comparative study of Panchayats in Tamilnadu, Karnataka and West Bengal" sponsored by the IDS, University of Sussex. Results are being published. A working paper on Karnataka and a monograph on the comparative perspective have been published by MIDS. A monograph titled: Centralised Initiatives and Decentralised Responsibilities: A Study of Selected Indian States, was recently published by the Institute of Social Sciences New Delhi. Other publications are in the offing.
Publications in journals and edited volumes. Presently engaged in editing a volume of papers on Tamilnadu Economy and Society with Professor A.Vaidyanathan.
Worked as Consultant along with Professor P.R.Panchamukhi for the Government of Karnataka on Regional Imbalances in Karnataka, 1998.
Has participated in international conferences and is widely traveled. Travels include, apart from North America and Europe, Japan, South Korea and China.