Sri Yarlagadda Ranganayakulu Foundation

Sri Yarlagadda Ranganayakulu Foundation is set up to uphold the deep sense of Humanism and commitment for the downtrodden that the late Sri Yarlagadda Ranganayakulu personified. These values permeated all facets of his life, be it personal or professional.

Early Life and Education

Sri Yarlagadda Rattaiah Chowdary
& Smt.Rajaratnam

Late Sri Yarlagadda Ranganayakulu B.E. hailed from an agricultural family in Karamchedu village, Prakasam District, A.P. He was born in the year 1933 to
Sri Yarlagadda Rattaiah Chowdary & Smt.Rajaratnam in a family that had traditionally held the offices of village headmen and revenue officers. Their family is a branch of Recharla Clan (Yellappa) with illustrious ancestors like Kanchineedu, Gangineedu, Pedda Guruvulu and Pedda Akkana. The Yarlagadda Family had led the villages with commitment for the welfare of even the smallest. Their family had fought age old evils in the society and that deeply influenced Sri. Y. Ranganayakulu to shape his values of Humanism. This was further shaped by an environment of Freedom Struggle and Gandhian influence, through his paternal uncleSri.Y.Lingaiah Chowdary who participated in Salt Satyagraha and was jailed for an year.

Sri.Y.Lingaiah Chowdary


	After completing his early schooling from Karamchedu and passing his matriculation from Chirala, he went on to do his intermediate in Loyola College Chennai. He graduated (B.E. Electrical Engineering) from Guindy College of Engineering, Chennai with the 1950-54 batch. He was married to Smt. Bhujanga Ratnamba (D/o Sri Daggubati Raghavaiah Chowdary) in 1956 and blessed with three children Dr. Y. Padmavati (M.A.,LL.M.,Phd), Y. Raghu Babu (M.A.,LL.B.) and Y. Rajasekhar(B.E.) and three grand children Sriranga, Siri and Sriya.

An Illustrious Career

On completing BE, he joined Madras State Electricity Board. Later he started his own engineering firm dealing with electrical works in 1955. The firm later diversified into Irrigation projects, mainly canal excavation and embankment, where it was instrumental in executing some of the major projects that changed the face of Andhra Pradesh itself. Some of the major projects that the firm undertook include Nagarjuna Sagar, Kadam, Pochampadu, Thandava, Godavari South Canals and Kakatiya Canal.

Apart from Irrigation works, he was also involved in agricultural allied businesses like fertilizers and cotton processing industry. He was also one of the promoter directors of Spiral Tubes Pvt. Ltd., Hyderabad.

Social and Ideological Commitments

Unlike other technocrats who were limited by their areas of technical expertise,

Sri Yarlagadda Ranganayakulu was actively involved in social and political movements. Driven by his scientific temper and a spirit of enquiry that he acquired as a child, he actively participated in All India Rationalist Movement. His social commitments and Humanism was felt in his association with M.N.Roy’s Radical Humanist Movement; “for the ideal of establishing a social order in which the best in man could be manifest” (M N Roy). Sri Yarlagadda Ranganayakulu enthusiastically participated in Rural development and co-operative movement. Throughout his life he promoted the empowerment of rural youth through education and employment generation.He helped several poor students in pursuing their academic careers and guided them to take right employment. He was Founder Secretary of Hyderabad Study Circle which guided students of A.P. to join All India Civil Services.

L to R Seated
Y. Lakshmi Narayana Chowdary
Y. Durga Vara Prasad
Dr. Y. P. Chandra Sekhara Rao

He was supported in all his endeavors by his elder brother Sri Y. Raghavendra Rao, his cousin Sri Y. Durga Vara Prasad, his younger brothers Sri Y. Lakshmi Narayana Chowdary, Dr. Y.P.Chandra Sekhara Rao and his sister Smt. Patibandla Lakshmi Devi.

Though he passed away on 17-2-1981; his spirit lives on through Sri Yarlagadda Ranganayakulu Foundation. This trust is authored and funded by his wife Smt. Bhujanga Ratnamba. The other trustees are

		Y.Raghu Babu	Businessman
		Y.Bhavani	Home Maker
		Y.Sriranga Nayakulu	M.B.S. (K.G.I. CA)
		Y.Siri	M.F.C. (Delhi University)

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