K. Kamaraj (Perunthalaivar) – Freedom Struggle, Chief Minister 1954–63, Education, Dams, Kamaraj Plan & Kingmaker | TNPSC Notes

K. Kamaraj (Kumaraswami Kamaraj, 1903–1975) was a freedom fighter from Virudhunagar who served as Chief Minister of Madras State from 1954 to 1963 and is remembered for spreading school education through free mid-day meals, free uniforms and thousands of new schools. Honoured as Perunthalaivar, Karmaveerar, Kalvi Thanthai and the Kingmaker of Indian politics, he gave the Congress the Kamaraj Plan (1963) and received the Bharat Ratna posthumously in 1976.

தமிழில் படிக்க

These notes are written for TNPSC Group 1, 2/2A and 4 aspirants and are meant to be complete on their own. Kamaraj is a core topic in Unit VI – History, Culture, Heritage and Socio-Political Movements of Tamil Nadu; his education and welfare measures come under Unit V – Indian Economy and Development Administration in Tamil Nadu; and his role in the freedom struggle and in national politics comes under Unit III – History, Culture of India and Indian National Movement. Read each section, then use the tables, the quick revision table and the key points at the end.

Early Life, Family and Schooling

• Born: 15 July 1903 at Virudhupatti, now Virudhunagar, in the then Madras Presidency.
• Parents: Kumaraswami Nadar and Sivakami Ammal; the family were traders of modest means.
• Name: his birth name was Kamatchi; combined with the pet name "Raja", he came to be called Kamaraj.
• Loss of father: his father died when Kamaraj was about six years old, and the family faced hardship.
• Schooling: he studied in local schools in Virudhunagar but left school at a young age to support his mother. He worked in his maternal uncle's cloth shop.
• Personal life: he never married and owned no property; his simple life became part of his public image.

Though he had little formal schooling, he read widely, especially during his long years in prison, and gained a sharp understanding of people and administration.

Entry into the Congress and Political Mentor

• The Jallianwala Bagh massacre (1919) and the national movement drew him into politics; he joined the Indian National Congress as a teenager and organised meetings in Virudhunagar.
• He took part in the Non-Cooperation Movement (1920–22) and met Mahatma Gandhi when Gandhi visited Madurai.
• He took part in the Vaikom Satyagraha (1924–25), the struggle for the right of all castes to use the roads around the Vaikom temple in Travancore.
• Political guru: S. Satyamurti. Kamaraj worked closely with him in the provincial Congress. Satyamurti died in 1943 while Kamaraj was in jail.

Freedom Struggle and Imprisonments

Kamaraj was imprisoned six times by the British and spent more than 3,000 days (over eight years) in jail. The main jail terms and cases are listed below.

• Salt Satyagraha (1930): in Tamil Nadu the Salt March went from Tiruchirappalli to Vedaranyam under C. Rajagopalachari (Rajaji). Kamaraj was arrested and sent to Alipore Jail.
• 1940 arrest: during the Second World War he spoke against collecting war funds and was arrested in December 1940. While he was in jail, he was elected chairman of the Virudhunagar municipality; on release he took charge and resigned at once.
• Quit India (1942): he spread the Quit India message in the south before his arrest and was detained for about three years, until June 1945.

Congress Organisation and Legislature (1936–1954)

• 1936: General Secretary of the provincial (Tamil Nadu) Congress committee.
• 1937: elected to the Madras Legislative Assembly from Sattur.
• 1940: elected President of the provincial Congress committee (Tamil Nadu Congress Committee) in February 1940, and led the provincial party for most of the years until he became Chief Minister in 1954.
• 1946: re-elected to the Madras Assembly; also a member of the Constituent Assembly of India from Madras.
• 1952: elected to the first Lok Sabha from Srivilliputhur.

Kamaraj's Elections at a Glance

Exam tip: five place names are often mixed up in options – Sattur (first Assembly win, 1937), Srivilliputhur (Lok Sabha, 1952), Gudiyatham (by-election as CM, 1954), Virudhunagar (defeat, 1967) and Nagercoil (Lok Sabha by-election, 1969).

Becoming Chief Minister (1954)

In 1953 Rajaji's government introduced the Modified Scheme of Elementary Education, under which children attended school for half the day and learnt their family occupation in the other half. Critics called it "Kula Kalvi Thittam" (hereditary education scheme) and the Dravidar Kazhagam, the DMK and teachers' groups opposed it. Rajaji resigned, and Kamaraj became Chief Minister of Madras State on 13 April 1954. He resigned his Lok Sabha seat and entered the Assembly by winning the Gudiyatham by-election in 1954.

• Tenure: 13 April 1954 – 2 October 1963, a little over nine years, across three terms (he won again in the 1957 and 1962 elections).
• Small cabinet: his cabinet had about eight ministers. He chose ministers on merit, and included C. Subramaniam, who had contested against him for the leadership.
• Avadi session (1955): the Congress session at Avadi, near Madras, adopted the goal of a "socialistic pattern of society".

Education – Why He Is Called Kalvi Thanthai

Education was the centre of Kamaraj's government. His aim was that no child should stay out of school because of poverty or distance.

• Mid-day meal scheme: the idea of feeding poor schoolchildren so that they would come and stay in school was taken up with the help of the Director of Public Instruction, N. D. Sundaravadivelu. The scheme began in 1956 at Ettayapuram and was gradually extended to government and panchayat schools across the State; the US agency CARE later supplied food aid. It was expanded by M. G. Ramachandran in 1982 and became a model for the national mid-day meal scheme.
• Higher and technical education: new engineering, medical and teacher-training institutions were opened, and IIT Madras was set up in 1959.
• Title: for these measures he is called Kalvi Thanthai (Father of Education). The Class 6 Tamil textbook lesson about him is titled "Kalvi Kann Thirandhavar" (one who opened the eyes of education) and notes that Thanthai Periyar praised him in these words.

Irrigation and Dams

Kamaraj saw irrigation as the base of food security. Several major irrigation projects were built or begun in his period, along with canal schemes and drainage works.

Exam tip: Vaigai Dam (opened 21 January 1959) is the most frequently asked; Sathanur and Krishnagiri are both on the Thenpennai (Ponnaiyar) river.

Industries and Infrastructure

During the Second and Third Five-Year Plans, Kamaraj worked to bring large public-sector projects to the State and encouraged small and medium industries. The following came up in the State during his tenure:

Industrial estates near Madras and supply of electricity helped private companies set up factories.

The Kamaraj Plan (1963)

After the China war of 1962 and by-election defeats in 1963, the Congress was losing popular support. Kamaraj proposed that senior leaders should give up government posts and work to strengthen the party organisation. This became known as the Kamaraj Plan ("K-Plan").

• Accepted: by the All India Congress Committee in August 1963; Prime Minister Nehru was given authority to decide whose resignations to accept.
• Union Ministers who resigned (six): they included Lal Bahadur Shastri, Morarji Desai, Jagjivan Ram and S. K. Patil.
• Chief Ministers who resigned (six): they included Kamaraj himself (Madras) and Biju Patnaik (Odisha).
• Kamaraj's resignation: on 2 October 1963 (Gandhi Jayanti). M. Bhaktavatsalam became Chief Minister the same day.

Congress President and "Kingmaker" (1963–1967)

• Congress President: elected on 9 October 1963; he led the party until 1967.
• The Syndicate: he was the leading figure of the informal group of senior regional Congress leaders known as the Syndicate.
• 1964: after Nehru's death (27 May 1964) he built a consensus for Lal Bahadur Shastri as Prime Minister.
• 1966: after Shastri's death at Tashkent (11 January 1966) he backed Indira Gandhi, who defeated Morarji Desai in the Congress Parliamentary Party vote.
• Because he chose two Prime Ministers but never sought the post himself, he is called the Kingmaker.

Chief Ministers Before and After Kamaraj

Later Life: 1967 Defeat, Congress (O) and Death

• 1967 election: food shortages and the anti-Hindi agitation turned the State against the Congress. The DMK came to power, and Kamaraj lost his own Virudhunagar seat to P. Seenivasan of the DMK by 1,285 votes – his first electoral defeat.
• 1969 by-election: he won the Nagercoil Lok Sabha by-election in January 1969 and was re-elected from Nagercoil in 1971, holding the seat until his death.
• Congress split (1969): after the 1969 presidential election contest, the party split. Kamaraj and the Syndicate led the Congress (Organisation) – Congress (O), while Indira Gandhi led the other faction. Congress (O) won 16 Lok Sabha seats in 1971.
• Death: he died of a heart attack on 2 October 1975 – Gandhi Jayanti, and the twelfth anniversary of his resignation – in Chennai, aged 72. He was cremated near Gandhi Mandapam, Chennai, where the Kamarajar Memorial now stands.

Titles of Kamaraj

Honours and Memorials

• Bharat Ratna: 1976, posthumously.
• Postage stamp: issued on 15 July 1976 (25 paise).
• Madurai Kamaraj University: Madurai University (founded 1966) was renamed after him in 1978.
• Kamarajar Port: Ennore Port, north of Chennai, has been renamed Kamarajar Port.
• Kamaraj Domestic Terminal: the domestic terminal of Chennai airport was named after him.
• Memorial houses: his houses in Chennai and Virudhunagar are maintained as memorials; the Kamarajar Memorial stands at his cremation site in Chennai.
• Statues: including one in Parliament, New Delhi.
• Birth centenary (2003): Rs 100 and Rs 5 commemorative coins were issued; a Tamil biographical film, Kamaraj, was released in 2004.
• Educational Development Day: his birthday, 15 July, is celebrated as Kalvi Valarchi Naal in all schools under the Tamil Nadu Educational Development Day (Declaration and Celebration) Act, 2006 (Act 26 of 2006).

Writing Mains Answers on Kamaraj (Group 1 / Group 2)

Descriptive papers often ask about Kamaraj's contribution. Build your answer around these points and support each with a fact from the notes above.

Kamaraj's contribution to school education (about 150–250 words)

• Introduction: Chief Minister of Madras State 1954–63; education was the centre of his rule; called Kalvi Thanthai.
• Policy reversal: withdrew the 1953 Modified Scheme of Elementary Education (Kula Kalvi Thittam) in 1954.
• Access: school within about 3 km of every child; about 12,000 new schools; about 6,000 closed schools reopened.
• Removing barriers: free and compulsory elementary education; fee exemption for poor students.
• Retention: free mid-day meal scheme from 1956 (Ettayapuram); free uniforms to remove visible inequality.
• Higher education: new engineering, medical and teacher-training institutions; IIT Madras (1959).
• Legacy: the meal scheme was expanded by M. G. Ramachandran in 1982 and became a model for India; 15 July is Educational Development Day (Act 26 of 2006).

Significance of the Kamaraj Plan (about 150 words)

• Context: Congress weakened after the 1962 China war and 1963 by-election defeats.
• Idea: senior leaders give up office to rebuild the party at the grassroots.
• Action: accepted by the AICC in August 1963; six Union Ministers and six Chief Ministers, including Kamaraj, resigned.
• Result: Kamaraj became Congress President (9 October 1963) and guided the leadership changes of 1964 and 1966.
• Evaluation: a rare example of a leader giving up power for the organisation; it also raised the influence of the party organisation (the Syndicate), which later clashed with Indira Gandhi and led to the 1969 split.

Kamaraj as "Kingmaker" (about 100 words)

• 1964: consensus for Lal Bahadur Shastri after Nehru's death.
• 1966: backed Indira Gandhi after Shastri's death; she won the Congress Parliamentary Party vote against Morarji Desai.
• Never sought the Prime Minister's post himself – hence the title.

Practice: Match the Following

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Two different 2 October dates: he resigned as Chief Minister on 2 October 1963 and died on 2 October 1975 – both on Gandhi Jayanti.
• Bharat Ratna year: 1976 (posthumous), not 1975.
• Kingmaker order: Shastri first (1964), then Indira Gandhi (1966).
• Predecessor and successor: Rajaji before him; M. Bhaktavatsalam after him – not C. Subramaniam (who was his Education Minister).
• Salt Satyagraha leader in Tamil Nadu: Rajaji led the Vedaranyam march; Kamaraj was a participant.
• Political guru: S. Satyamurti – not Rajaji or Gandhi.
• Congress (O) vs Congress (R): after the 1969 split Kamaraj was in Congress (O); Indira Gandhi led the other group.
• Madurai Kamaraj University: the university was founded in 1966 as Madurai University and renamed only in 1978, after his death.

Quick Revision Table

TNPSC Key Points (PYQ-style facts)

• Born: 15 July 1903, Virudhupatti (Virudhunagar). Parents: Kumaraswami Nadar and Sivakami Ammal. Birth name: Kamatchi.
• Political guru: S. Satyamurti.
• Salt Satyagraha 1930 – Vedaranyam (led by Rajaji); Kamaraj jailed at Alipore.
• Jailed six times; more than 3,000 days in prison.
• Took part in the Vaikom Satyagraha.
• Provincial Congress president from 1940; first elected to the Assembly in 1937 (Sattur).
• Chief Minister of Madras State: 13 April 1954 – 2 October 1963 (three terms); preceded by Rajaji, succeeded by M. Bhaktavatsalam.
• First Assembly seat as CM: Gudiyatham by-election (1954).
• Cabinet of about eight ministers; C. Subramaniam was Education Minister.
• Withdrew Rajaji's Modified Scheme of Elementary Education (Kula Kalvi Thittam).
• Mid-day meal scheme: started in 1956 at Ettayapuram.
• About 12,000 new schools opened; about 6,000 closed schools reopened; school within about 3 km of every child.
• Free uniforms; free and compulsory elementary education.
• Dams: Vaigai (inaugurated 21 January 1959), Sathanur, Krishnagiri, Amaravathi, Manimuthar, Lower Bhavani; Parambikulam–Aliyar Project.
• Industries: ICF Perambur, Neyveli Lignite Corporation, BHEL Tiruchirappalli, Heavy Vehicles Factory Avadi, Hindustan Photo Films Ooty; IIT Madras (1959).
• Kamaraj Plan: 1963; six Union Ministers and six Chief Ministers resigned.
• Congress President: elected 9 October 1963; Kingmaker – Shastri (1964), Indira Gandhi (1966).
• 1967: lost Virudhunagar to P. Seenivasan (DMK).
• 1969: Nagercoil Lok Sabha by-election; led Congress (O) after the split.
• Died: 2 October 1975, Chennai. Bharat Ratna: 1976 (posthumous).
• 15 July = Educational Development Day (TN Act 26 of 2006).
• Madurai Kamaraj University (renamed 1978); Kamarajar Port (Ennore).

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is K. Kamaraj called the "Kingmaker"?

As Congress president he guided the choice of two Prime Ministers: Lal Bahadur Shastri after Nehru's death in 1964, and Indira Gandhi after Shastri's death in 1966, when she defeated Morarji Desai in the vote of the Congress Parliamentary Party. Because he made Prime Ministers without seeking the post himself, he is called the Kingmaker.

When was Kamaraj the Chief Minister of Madras State?

From 13 April 1954 to 2 October 1963 – more than nine years, over three terms. He first entered the Assembly through the Gudiyatham by-election of 1954, kept a small cabinet of about eight ministers, and resigned on Gandhi Jayanti 1963 under the Kamaraj Plan. M. Bhaktavatsalam succeeded him.

What was the Kamaraj Plan of 1963?

It was Kamaraj's proposal that senior Congress leaders should give up ministerial posts and work to rebuild the party organisation. The AICC accepted it in August 1963; six Union Ministers (including Lal Bahadur Shastri, Morarji Desai, Jagjivan Ram and S. K. Patil) and six Chief Ministers (including Kamaraj himself and Biju Patnaik) resigned.

Why is 15 July celebrated as Educational Development Day in Tamil Nadu?

15 July is Kamaraj's birthday. In recognition of his work for school education – new schools, free and compulsory elementary education, free mid-day meals and uniforms – the Tamil Nadu Educational Development Day (Declaration and Celebration) Act, 2006 (Act 26 of 2006) declared it Educational Development Day (Kalvi Valarchi Naal), celebrated in every school.

When did Kamaraj receive the Bharat Ratna?

He was awarded the Bharat Ratna posthumously in 1976. He had died on 2 October 1975 (Gandhi Jayanti) in Chennai. A postage stamp in his honour was issued on 15 July 1976.

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