Dattatreya Gopal Karve
Encyclopedia
Dattatreya Gopal Karve was an Indian economist and professor who contributed to the fields of economics
, public administration
and the cooperative
movement in India
.
, India
in 1898. His father died when he was one year old placing a financial burden on the remaining family. Supported by his mother, he studied at the New English School in Pune and later at Fergusson College
. He failed a first-year college examination—an experience that spurred him to bring his academic and life goals into clearer focus. He studied under the distinguished Indian economist Professor V.G. Kale, and in 1921 was awarded the Cobden Club Medal for winning first position in economics on his B.A. examination.
of economics
. In collaboration with Professor Kale he published a book on Principles of Economics in the Marathi
language in 1927, followed by a second volume in 1929. In 1932 he succeeded Professor Kale as Head of the Economics Department at Fergusson College
, Pune
.
In June 1935 the Deccan Education Society appointed him Principal of Willingdon College, Sangli
, an institution suffering from low numbers and poor academic standing. By the end of his five-year term the college saw significant improvements in its enrollment, finances and its reputation. He returned to Fergusson College as Head of the History-Economics Department in 1940. He went on to become the first Principal of the newly formed Brihan Maharashtra College of Commerce
in 1943. Recognition of his contributions to the field of economics led to his election as President of the All-India Economic Conference in 1945 and President of the All-India Agricultural Economic Conference in 1956. He served as Vice Chancellor of the University of Poona from 1959 to 1961.
In 1962 Dattatreya Gopal Karve was awarded an Honorary Fellowship at the International Institute of Social Studies (ISS) in The Netherlands.
included serving as Chairman of the Bombay Administrative Enquiry Committee, and later as Director of the Indian Institute of Public Administration
in 1954.
He contributed to India's cooperative
movement using his background in agricultural economics
to encourage state participation in cooperation. He was chosen to become a Director of the Bombay State Cooperative Bank, Vice-Chairman of the State Bank of India
(1960-1962) and Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank of India
(1962-1964). During his tenure at the Reserve Bank of India he served as Chairman of the Central Committee of Cooperative Training – a position that helped spread the cooperative model widely within India. He went on to serve as a special consultant to the United Nations
Food and Agriculture Organization
.
He participated in and chaired several commissions of the International Cooperative Alliance, and was Chairman of the 23rd session of the International Cooperative Congress in Vienna
in 1966.
(BMCC) established the Principal D.G. Karve Chair in Economics and Commerce. D.G. Karve served as the first Principal of the BMCC in 1943.
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
, public administration
Public administration
Public Administration houses the implementation of government policy and an academic discipline that studies this implementation and that prepares civil servants for this work. As a "field of inquiry with a diverse scope" its "fundamental goal.....
and the cooperative
Cooperative
A cooperative is a business organization owned and operated by a group of individuals for their mutual benefit...
movement in 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...
.
Early Life and Studies
D.G. Karve was born in PunePune
Pune , is the eighth largest metropolis in India, the second largest in the state of Maharashtra after Mumbai, and the largest city in the Western Ghats. Once the centre of power of the Maratha Empire, it is situated 560 metres above sea level on the Deccan plateau at the confluence of the Mula ...
, 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...
in 1898. His father died when he was one year old placing a financial burden on the remaining family. Supported by his mother, he studied at the New English School in Pune and later at Fergusson College
Fergusson College
Fergusson College is a degree college in western India, situated in the city of Pune. It was founded in 1885 by the Deccan Education Society and at that time was the first privately governed college in India. It is named after Sir James Fergusson, the Governor of Bombay, who donated a then...
. He failed a first-year college examination—an experience that spurred him to bring his academic and life goals into clearer focus. He studied under the distinguished Indian economist Professor V.G. Kale, and in 1921 was awarded the Cobden Club Medal for winning first position in economics on his B.A. examination.
Academic Achievements
In 1923 D.G. Karve joined the Deccan Education Society as a professorProfessor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
of economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
. In collaboration with Professor Kale he published a book on Principles of Economics in the Marathi
Marathi language
Marathi is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Marathi people of western and central India. It is the official language of the state of Maharashtra. There are over 68 million fluent speakers worldwide. Marathi has the fourth largest number of native speakers in India and is the fifteenth most...
language in 1927, followed by a second volume in 1929. In 1932 he succeeded Professor Kale as Head of the Economics Department at Fergusson College
Fergusson College
Fergusson College is a degree college in western India, situated in the city of Pune. It was founded in 1885 by the Deccan Education Society and at that time was the first privately governed college in India. It is named after Sir James Fergusson, the Governor of Bombay, who donated a then...
, Pune
Pune
Pune , is the eighth largest metropolis in India, the second largest in the state of Maharashtra after Mumbai, and the largest city in the Western Ghats. Once the centre of power of the Maratha Empire, it is situated 560 metres above sea level on the Deccan plateau at the confluence of the Mula ...
.
In June 1935 the Deccan Education Society appointed him Principal of Willingdon College, Sangli
Sangli
Sangli is a city in the state of Maharashtra of India. Sangli is known as the Turmeric city for its vast production of Turmeric. Sangli is situated on the banks of river Krishna and is the largest market place for Turmeric in Asia and houses many sugar factories, which it is also noted for...
, an institution suffering from low numbers and poor academic standing. By the end of his five-year term the college saw significant improvements in its enrollment, finances and its reputation. He returned to Fergusson College as Head of the History-Economics Department in 1940. He went on to become the first Principal of the newly formed Brihan Maharashtra College of Commerce
Brihan Maharashtra College of Commerce
The Brihan Maharashtra College of Commerce is a pioneering, premier Commerce College in Pune, Maharashtra. The College was established in 1943 by the Deccan Education Society with a view to providing enlightened leadership and trained manpower in the field of commerce and business to the country...
in 1943. Recognition of his contributions to the field of economics led to his election as President of the All-India Economic Conference in 1945 and President of the All-India Agricultural Economic Conference in 1956. He served as Vice Chancellor of the University of Poona from 1959 to 1961.
In 1962 Dattatreya Gopal Karve was awarded an Honorary Fellowship at the International Institute of Social Studies (ISS) in The Netherlands.
Public Administration and the Cooperative Movement
Recognizing that economic policies are unlikely to be successful without effective planning and administration, D.G. Karve worked to educate and promote state planning in India. His contributions to public administrationPublic administration
Public Administration houses the implementation of government policy and an academic discipline that studies this implementation and that prepares civil servants for this work. As a "field of inquiry with a diverse scope" its "fundamental goal.....
included serving as Chairman of the Bombay Administrative Enquiry Committee, and later as Director of the Indian Institute of Public Administration
Indian Institute of Public Administration
The Indian Institute of Public Administration , is a premier public policy school autonomous institution in India for public administration studies and one of the major social science resources in India.-History:...
in 1954.
He contributed to India's cooperative
Cooperative
A cooperative is a business organization owned and operated by a group of individuals for their mutual benefit...
movement using his background in agricultural economics
Agricultural economics
Agricultural economics originally applied the principles of economics to the production of crops and livestock — a discipline known as agronomics. Agronomics was a branch of economics that specifically dealt with land usage. It focused on maximizing the crop yield while maintaining a good soil...
to encourage state participation in cooperation. He was chosen to become a Director of the Bombay State Cooperative Bank, Vice-Chairman of the State Bank of India
State Bank of India
The State Bank of India is the largest Indian banking and financial services company with its headquarters in Mumbai, India. It is state-owned. The bank traces its ancestry to British India, through the Imperial Bank of India, to the founding in 1806 of the Bank of Calcutta, making it the oldest...
(1960-1962) and Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank of India
Reserve Bank of India
The Reserve Bank of India is the central banking institution of India and controls the monetary policy of the rupee as well as US$300.21 billion of currency reserves. The institution was established on 1 April 1935 during the British Raj in accordance with the provisions of the Reserve Bank of...
(1962-1964). During his tenure at the Reserve Bank of India he served as Chairman of the Central Committee of Cooperative Training – a position that helped spread the cooperative model widely within India. He went on to serve as a special consultant to the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
Food and Agriculture Organization
Food and Agriculture Organization
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations is a specialised agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger. Serving both developed and developing countries, FAO acts as a neutral forum where all nations meet as equals to negotiate agreements and...
.
He participated in and chaired several commissions of the International Cooperative Alliance, and was Chairman of the 23rd session of the International Cooperative Congress in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
in 1966.
Lasting Legacy
In 2005 the Brihan Maharashtra College of CommerceBrihan Maharashtra College of Commerce
The Brihan Maharashtra College of Commerce is a pioneering, premier Commerce College in Pune, Maharashtra. The College was established in 1943 by the Deccan Education Society with a view to providing enlightened leadership and trained manpower in the field of commerce and business to the country...
(BMCC) established the Principal D.G. Karve Chair in Economics and Commerce. D.G. Karve served as the first Principal of the BMCC in 1943.
Selected bibliography
- Federations: A Study in Comparative Politics (London, 1932)
- Poverty and Population in India (H. Milford, Oxford University Press, 1936)