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{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific_prefix = Sir
| name = Sonti Venkata Ramamurthy
| honorific_suffix = [[Order of the Indian Empire|KCIE]] [[Order of the Star of India|CSI]]
| image = S_V_Ramamurthy.jpg
| order1 = Chief Secretary to the Government of Madras Presidency
| term_start1 = 1939
| term_end1 = 1943
| governor1 = [[Arthur Hope, 2nd Baron Rankeillour]]
| premier1 = None (Governor's rule)
| predecessor1 = [[G. T. Boag]]
| successor1 = [[C. H. Masterman]]
| birth_date = 1 August 1888
| birth_place = Vizagapatam
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1964|01|19|1888|08|01|mf=y}}
| death_place = [[United Kingdom]]
| alma_mater = London Mission High School, Vizagapatam,<br />[[University of Madras]],<br />[[Trinity College, Cambridge]]
| profession =
| occupation =
| spouse =
}}

'''Sir Sonti Venkata Ramamurthy''' <small>[[Order of the Indian Empire|KCIE]]</small> (1 August 1888 - 19 January 1964) was an Indian civil servant who served as Chief Secretary to the Government of [[Madras Presidency]] from 1939 to 1943 and as advisor to the Madras government from 1941 to 1945.<ref name="indianreview">{{cite book|title=The Indian Review|volume=63|publisher=[[G. A. Natesan]]|year=1964|page=104}}</ref> He was the first Indian to be appointed Chief Secretary of Madras.{{citation needed|date=September 2015}} Ramamurthy also acted as the [[Governor of Bombay Presidency]] from 19 May 1947 to 30 May 1947.

== Early life and education ==

Born in [[Vizagapatam]] on 1 August 1888,<ref name="indiaofficep840">{{cite book|title=Ramamurthy, Sonti Venkata|work=The India Office and Burma Office List|year=1922|publisher=Harrison and Sons|page=840}}</ref> Ramamurthy studied at the London Mission High School and after graduating from [[Madras University]], did his masters' at the [[Trinity College, Cambridge]].<ref name="indiaofficep840" /><ref name="univmumbaip333">{{cite book|title=The Cloister's Pale: A Biography of the University of Mumbai|page=333|first=Arun|last=Tikekara|publisher=Popular Prakashan|year=2006|isbn=8179912930|id=}}</ref> Ramamurthy passed the [[Indian Civil Service]] examinations in 1911 and was allocated to the Madras Presidency.<ref name="indiaofficep840" /> During his stay in Cambridge, Ramamurthy gained a reputation for his mathematical abilities.<ref name="icarusp64">{{cite book|title=Icarus Went East|page=64|first=Sir Herbert|last=Thomson|year=2013|publisher=Lulu.com |isbn=978-1304581846|id=}}</ref>

== Career ==

Ramamurthy joined the Indian Civil Service in November 1911 and served his entire career in the Madras Presidency, In 1923, he was appointed [[District Collector]] of [[Ramanathapuram district|Ramnad]]. In September 1927, he succeeded [[H. S. Shield]] as the District Collector of [[Tanjore District (Madras Presidency)|Tanjore district]], the second native Indian to be appointed to the post.<ref name="district_site">{{cite web|title=List of District Collectors of Thanjavur|url=http://www.thanjavur.tn.nic.in/collectors.html|publisher=worldstatesmen|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20151031012518/http://www.thanjavur.tn.nic.in/collectors.html|archivedate=2015-10-31}}</ref> In 1928, he was appointed Secretary of the Development Department of Madras Presidency and served a short stint as the Director of Agriculture before being appointed District Collector of Salem. In 1937, Ramamurthy was removed as District Collector of Salem at the insistence of the Premier, [[C. Rajagopalachari]] and replaced with an Englishman, [[A. F. W. Dixon]], who achieved remarkable success in imposing prohibition in Salem district.<ref name="cyclopediap231">{{cite book|title=Salem cyclopedia: a cultural and historical dictionary of Salem District, Tamil Nadu|page=231|first=Busnagi|last=Rajanan|year=1992|publisher=Institute of Kongu Studies}}</ref> Ramamurthy responded when, appointed to head a commission after the Governor had dismissed Rajaji's government, he recommended the abolition of prohibition throughout the province.

In 1939, Ramamurthy was appointed Chief Secretary to the Madras government, the first Indian to occupy the post.<ref name="encyclopediap89">{{cite book|title=Encyclopaedia of India: Tamil Nadu|work=Encyclopedia of India|volume=18|first=Pran Nath|last=Chopra|year=1992|publisher=Rima Publishing House|page=89}}</ref> He served till 1941 during the time when the [[Second World War]] broke out and introduced food rationing in the province. He retired as advisor to the Madras government in 1946.

== Later life ==
Following his retirement, Ramamurthy accepted an invitation to act as the [[Governor of Bombay]] for a few days. Later that year, he accepted an appointment as the [[Diwan (title)|Diwan]] of [[Udaipur State]]. Ramamurthy served for a year and oversaw the state's [[accession to the Indian Union]].

== References ==

{{reflist|2}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ramamurthy, S. V.}}
[[Category:1888 births]]
[[Category:1964 deaths]]
[[Category:Knights Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire]]
[[Category:Indian knights]]
[[Category:Alumni of Trinity College, Cambridge]]
[[Category:Indian Civil Service (British India) officers]]

S. V. Ramamurthy - Revision history

Anilsharma: Started details - done