About YR
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
Late Sri Yarlagadda Ranganayakulu B.E. hailed from an agricultural family in Karamchedu village, A.P. He was born in the year 1932 to Sri Yarlagadda Rattaiah Chowdary & Smt.Rajaratnam in a family that had traditionally held the offices of village headmen and revenue officers. The values of a family that had led villages with commitment for the welfare of even the smallest in and a family that had fought age old evils in the society deeply influenced him to shape his values of humanism. This was further shaped by an environment of freedom struggle and Gandhian influence, through his paternal uncle Sri.Y.Lingaiah Chowdary who participated in Salt Satyagraha and was jailed for an year.
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) Guindy College of Engineering, Chennai with the 1950-54 batch. He was married to Bhujanga Ratnamba (D/O) Sri. Daggubati Raghavaiah Chowdary of Karamchedu. He has three children Dr.Padmavati, M.A., LL.M. (Advocate), Raghu Babu M.A., LL.B. (Businessman) and Rajasekhar,B.E.(Industrialist)
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 wundertook 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 were 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 was founder – Secretary of Hyderabad Study Circle
Through 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 Mr. Raghu Babu, Mrs. Y. Bhavani, Mr. Y Sri Ranghanayakulu and Ms. Y Siri.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1K5cOFFuwRE
