Kalyan Vaidyanathan Kuttur Sundaram | |
|---|---|
| 2nd Chief Election Commissioner of India | |
| In office 20 December 1958 – 30 September 1967 | |
| Preceded by | Sukumar Sen |
| Succeeded by | SP Sen Verma |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 11 May 1904 Kuttur, Madras Presidency |
| Died | 23 September 1992 (aged 88) New Delhi, India |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Spouse | Indira Sundaram |
| Children | Vivan Sundaram |
| Awards | Padma Vibhushan (1968) |
Kalyan Vaidyanathan Kuttur Sundaram (11 May 1904 – 23 September 1992), also referred as K. V. K. Sundaram, was an Indian civil servant, who holds the record as the first Law Secretary (1948–58) of independent India and second Chief Election Commissioner of India (20 December 1958 – 30 September 1967). He also chaired the Fifth Law Commission of India for the period 1968–71.[1] [2] He was the principal author of the White Paper which was used to guide the formation of India into states drawn along linguistic lines after its independence. For this, he received personal thanks and high praise from Lord Louis Mountbatten. He was also a Sanskrit scholar, translating for English audiences the works of the Sanskrit writer Kalidasa.[1] A man of humility and discretion, according to The Independent, Sundaram received in 1968 the second highest civilian award which can be bestowed by the Indian Government: the Padma Vibhushan.[1][3]