Occupation Civilian Name Krishna Gupta | Died 1926, Kolkata Spouse Prasannatara Gupta | |
Born 28 February 1851 Calcutta | ||
Sir Krishna Govinda Gupta (Bengali: স্যার কৃষ্ণগোবিন্দ গুপ্ত ), (28 February 1851 - 20 March 1926)KCSI ICS, was a noted Indian Statesman, the sixth Indian member of the Indian Civil Service, a Barrister-at-Law, a prominent Bengali social reformer of 19th Century and leading Brahmo Samaj personality.
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Family members and relatives
Parents: Kali Narayan Gupta and Annada Sundari Gupta (daughter of Madhab Chandra Sen)
Wife: Prasanna Tara Gupta (daughter of Nabin Chandra Das)
Brothers: Peari Mohun Gupta; Ganga Gobindo Gupta; Binoy Chandra Gupta
Sisters: Subala Gupta; Bimala Das; Hemanta Sashi Sen; Soudamini Das; Chapala Dutta; Sarala Das;
Son: Jatindra Chandra Gupta;
Daughter: Hem Kusum Sen (wife of Atul Prasad Sen; Saraju Sen; Ila Gupta; Nalini Gupta (wife of Sir Albion Rajkumar Banerjee, ICS)
Early life and education
Krishna Govinda Gupta was born in the Bhatpara Villege, Sadar Police Station, Narsingdi district, near Dhaka, presently located in Bangladesh. His father was Kali Narayan Gupta, a landlord of Bhatpara, and an eminent person in Brahmin dominated society. His early education was carried out at Mymensingh Government School and Dacca College. Later, he joined the University College, London where he successfully took the Open Competitive Examination standing 2nd in the final examination. He became the 7th Indian member of the Indian Civil Service, joining the service as a probationer in 1871 coming out to India in 1873. He was also called to the Bar by The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple.
Career
In the British occupied India appointment to all covenanted posts were reserved for the Britishers only. The posts of Munsif and Sadar Amin were created and opened to Indians in 1832. In 1833, the posts of deputy magistrate and deputy collector were created and opened to Indians. The ICS Act of 1861 established the Indian Civil Service. The Act of 1853 had already established the practice of recruiting covenanted civilians through competitive examinations. Even after these, it was extremely difficult for any Indian to go to England and compete with the British for a position. Satyendranath Tagore (elder brother of Rabindranath Tagore), along with Monomohun Ghose took upon this daunting task and set sail for England in 1862 to prepare for and compete in the civil service examinations. Satyendranath was selected, as the first Indian, for the Indian Civil Service in June, 1863. He completed his probationary training and returned to India in November 1864. Monomohun Ghose did not succeed in the examination for the ICS but was called to the bar.
Krishna Govinda Gupta appeared in the Indian Civil Service examination in 1871 in London and became a probationer. He joined Civil Service on 24th Oct 1873 as Assistant Magistrate and Collector, being the sixth Indian to join ICS up to that time.
Successively he served in the special duty of controlling famine in Bengal and Bihar during 1873-74; became Joint magistrate and Deputy collector in 1884; appointed as Secretary, Board of Revenue in 1887; became magistrate and collector in 1889; appointed as the Junior Secretary to the Board of Revenue in 1990; became the Commissioner of Excise in March 1893; and acted as the Divisional Commissioner of Burdwan in 1901. He was the first Indian to be appointed as Member, Board of Revenue in 1904. He then became a Member of the Indian Excise Committee in 1905 and was on special duty in connection with the Fisheries of Bengal in 1906.
It was a report submitted by Krishna Govinda in 1906, on the potential of fisheries in Bengal, while he was a member of the Excice Committee, that paved the way of creation of the Department of Fisheries in the Government of Bengal in 1908. Encouragement in cultivation of inland fisheries, prawn and other water based farming etc. were a government prerogative since that time. The legacy is still continuing for the fish loving Bengalis in both India and Bangladesh till the present.
In 25th July 1907, Krishna Govinda Gupta along with Dr. Syed Hussain Bilgrami became the first Indian to be nominated as member of the Secretary of State's Council of India. Later he was also appointed as a Member of Lord Esher's Army in India Committee in 1920.
List of Indian ICS offices (1861-1899)
Socio-literary activities
Satyendranath Tagore (1842 - 1923), an ICS of 1963, was a close associate of Krishna Govinda in his socio literary activities. Taraknath Palit, Monomohun Ghose, Satyendra Prasanna Sinha, Bihari Lal Gupta and Krishna Govinda Gupta were some of the regular participants among the eminent stalwarts of the then Bengal in the majlis (discussions) arranged from time to time in Satyendranath's house in Park Street and Ballygunge.