Atul Chandra Chatterjee
Encyclopedia
Sir Atul Chandra Chatterjee, GCIE, KCSI
, ICS
(24 November 1874-8 September 1955) was an Indian diplomat and government official who served as the Indian High Commissioner
to the United Kingdom
from 1925 to 1931 and was member of the governing body of the League of Nations
Assembly in 1925 and 1946..
Chatterjee was educated at Presidency College
in Kolkata
and then at King's College
at Cambridge University, where he graduated in 1896 with an honours degree. In 1896, he stood for the Indian Civil Service examinations, passing first.
, eventually rising to the office of District collector
, after which he spent some time as an industries official in the government of the United Provinces. He represented India at the International Labour Conference in Washington in 1919, and then at Geneva in 1921 and from 1924 to 1933. In 1927, he served as the President of the International Labour Conference. From 1926 to 1931, he was a member of the governing board of the International Labour Organization
, and was elected its Vice-President in 1932 and its President in 1933.
Chatterjee was an Indian delegate to the London Naval Conference
of 1930, and led the Indian delegation at the Ottawa Imperial Conference in 1932. From 1921 to 1924, he was the Industries Member on the Viceroy's Executive Council, and served as the High Commissioner to the UK from 1925 to 1931, after which he served on the Council of India until 1936. From 1938 to 1946, he served as Chairman of the Permanent Central Opium Board of the League of Nations
, also serving as an adviser to the Secretary of State for India
from 1942 to 1947.
For his services, Sir Atul was appointed a CIE in 1919, knighted with the KCIE in 1925, with the KCSI in 1930, and was awarded the GCIE in 1933.
.
Order of the Star of India
The Most Exalted Order of the Star of India is an order of chivalry founded by Queen Victoria in 1861. The Order includes members of three classes:# Knight Grand Commander # Knight Commander # Companion...
, ICS
ICS
-Communications and technology:* Image Cytometry Standard, a digital multidimensional image file format used in life sciences microscopy* Industrial Control System* Information and Computer Science, the combined field of informatics and computing...
(24 November 1874-8 September 1955) was an Indian diplomat and government official who served as the Indian High Commissioner
High Commissioner
High Commissioner is the title of various high-ranking, special executive positions held by a commission of appointment.The English term is also used to render various equivalent titles in other languages.-Bilateral diplomacy:...
to the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
from 1925 to 1931 and was member of the governing body of the League of Nations
League of Nations
The League of Nations was an intergovernmental organization founded as a result of the Paris Peace Conference that ended the First World War. It was the first permanent international organization whose principal mission was to maintain world peace...
Assembly in 1925 and 1946..
Early life and education
He was born in Kolkata to Hemchandra Chatterjee and Nistarini Devi.Chatterjee was educated at Presidency College
Presidency College, Kolkata
Presidency University, Kolkata, formerly Hindu College and Presidency College, is a unitary, state aided university, located in Kolkata, West Bengal. and one of the premier institutes of learning of liberal arts and sciences in India. In 2002 it was ranked number one by the weekly news magazine...
in Kolkata
Kolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
and then at King's College
King's College, Cambridge
King's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England. The college's full name is "The King's College of our Lady and Saint Nicholas in Cambridge", but it is usually referred to simply as "King's" within the University....
at Cambridge University, where he graduated in 1896 with an honours degree. In 1896, he stood for the Indian Civil Service examinations, passing first.
Career
From 1897 to 1906, Chatterjee served as an ICS official in the United ProvincesUnited Provinces of Agra and Oudh
The United Provinces of Agra and Oudh was a province of India under the British Raj, which existed from 1902 to 1947; the official name was shortened by the Government of India Act 1935 to United Provinces, by which the province had been commonly known, and by which name it was also a province of...
, eventually rising to the office of District collector
District collector
The District Collector is the district head of administration of the bureaucracy in a state of India. Though he/she is appointed and is under general supervision of the state government, he/she has to be a member of the elite IAS recruited by the Central Government...
, after which he spent some time as an industries official in the government of the United Provinces. He represented India at the International Labour Conference in Washington in 1919, and then at Geneva in 1921 and from 1924 to 1933. In 1927, he served as the President of the International Labour Conference. From 1926 to 1931, he was a member of the governing board of the International Labour Organization
International Labour Organization
The International Labour Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations that deals with labour issues pertaining to international labour standards. Its headquarters are in Geneva, Switzerland. Its secretariat — the people who are employed by it throughout the world — is known as the...
, and was elected its Vice-President in 1932 and its President in 1933.
Chatterjee was an Indian delegate to the London Naval Conference
London Naval Conference
There were three major international naval conferences in London, the first in 1908-09, the second in 1930 and the third in 1935. The latter two, together with the Washington Naval Conference in 1921-22 and the Geneva Conferences , resulted in agreements between the major powers on navy vessel...
of 1930, and led the Indian delegation at the Ottawa Imperial Conference in 1932. From 1921 to 1924, he was the Industries Member on the Viceroy's Executive Council, and served as the High Commissioner to the UK from 1925 to 1931, after which he served on the Council of India until 1936. From 1938 to 1946, he served as Chairman of the Permanent Central Opium Board of the League of Nations
League of Nations
The League of Nations was an intergovernmental organization founded as a result of the Paris Peace Conference that ended the First World War. It was the first permanent international organization whose principal mission was to maintain world peace...
, also serving as an adviser to the Secretary of State for India
Secretary of State for India
The Secretary of State for India, or India Secretary, was the British Cabinet minister responsible for the government of India and the political head of the India Office...
from 1942 to 1947.
For his services, Sir Atul was appointed a CIE in 1919, knighted with the KCIE in 1925, with the KCSI in 1930, and was awarded the GCIE in 1933.
Personal life
Chatterjee first married Vina Mookerjee and had one daughter. She died young, and in 1924 he married Dr. Gladys Mary Broughton, OBE, sometime labour adviser to the Government of India, who was a barrister and served with the Indian Educational Service. After Indian independence, Chatterjee emigrated to the UK, settling in Kensington in London, where he died aged 80 in 1955. Subsequently Lady Chatterjee present his books to the Centre of South Asian Studies, University of CambridgeUniversity of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
.
Works
- Notes on the Industries of the United Provinces. (First, 1908), Nabu Press, 2010. ISBN 1141358190.
- British contributions to Indian studies, with Sir Richard Burn, British Council. Pub. for the British Council by Longmans, Green, 1943.
- A short history of India, with W. H. Moreland. Longmans, Green and co., 1944.
- The New India . Allen and Unwin, London. 1948.
External links
- Sir Atul Chandra Chatterjee National Portrait Gallery
- Lady Gladys Mary Broughton Chatterjee National Portrait Gallery