Sri Chellapilla Satyanarayana Rao (C.S. Rao) was born in May 1943 at Kakinada in Andhra Pradesh. His father was Sri C. Sitaramamurti Murthy, a popular college lecturer of English, and mother Smt. C. Suryakantam, and was the fourth of five siblings. Being born on the day of Kalyana Utsavam at the Annavaram Satyanarayana Swami temple, he was named for the Lord. He had his school education at Kakinada, Collegiate education at Rajahmundry, and obtained a Masters’ degree in English literature (with specialization in American literature) at Sagar University. He joined the English faculty of Sri Venkateswara College at New Delhi in 1963. He entered the Indian Administrative Service in 1967 and was allotted to Andhra Pradesh cadre. Sri C.S. Rao worked as Sub-Collector, Chandragiri, an assignment he regarded an auspicious start to his career, as the district is at the foot of the Tirumala Hills. He then worked for three years at Project Officer, Girijan Development Agency, Srikakulam. His work here was highly appreciated by both the tribal people and the government; some of his initiatives were taken as models for replication in similar projects across the country. His next posting was at the State Secretariat as Dy. Secretary in the Finance Department in charge of State Budget. This began his long association with Finance Ministries at both the Centre and the State, as association that would constitute 24 of his 36 years in Government Service. After two years as Dy. Secretary (Budget), he worked as District Collector in two districts, namely Krishna and Visakhapatnam. His work in both districts was highly regarded. His tenure at Krishna district saw him deal with the tidal wave of 1977. In the face of grave adversities arising from the natural calamity itself and the politicization of it, he maintained perspective and did outstanding work. Those who worked closely with him at the time recall that he never showed irritability or lost his cool even in hostile circumstances. He moved to the Ministry of Finance, Government of India in 1981. He worked as Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Finance dealing with State Finances. During this period, he was associated with the formulation of the Overdraft Regulation Scheme that restricted the access of states to overdraft from RBI and also prepared a working paper on Centre-State financial relations for discussion with Sarkaria Commission. After working for 5 years at the Centre, he returned to Andhra Pradesh in 1986 as Secretary Finance, a post in which post he continued till 1994. In May 1990, when the state was affected by a major cyclone, he was entrusted with the preparation of a project report for obtaining World Bank assistance for rehabilitation of the affected area. This project report was prepared in a short period of six weeks and the negotiations with the Bank completed within another two months. The World Bank approved a total assistance of $ 265 million with a stipulation that it be utilized within a threeyear period. As it was a multi-sectoral project with a short execution period, he established a Project Monitoring Unit (PMU) within the Ministry of Finance with the overall responsibility of planning and monitoring of the project. The efforts of the PMU resulted in full utilization of aid and completion of the project on time. The Government of India borrowed the PMU concept and facilitated establishment of such units in all states where externally-aided projects are under implementation. On promotion as Principal Secretary to Government of Andhra Pradesh, he headed the state Irrigation Department. He held other important positions in the state such as Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister. In early 1998, he returned to the Government of India as Additional Secretary & Financial Advisor, Ministry of Food and Consumer Affairs. While in this post, he was closely involved in the disinvestment of Modern Foods. He was elevated to the post of Secretary to the Government of India and posted as Secretary Expenditure in the Ministry of Finance in October 2001. As Secretary, Expenditure in the Government of India he was associated with disinvestment of state-held enterprises, expenditure budgeting, and clearance of projects for implementation by the Government of India. He was then posted as Revenue Secretary, Government of India, where he was associated with a major initiatives towards the rationalization of Direct and Indirect taxes. He retired from the IAS in May, 2003. He was immediately appointed for a 5 year term as the Chairman of the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI). During his tenure, he was associated with a number of initiatives such as detariffing, the nurturing of health insurance as a sector, and promotion of microinsurance. As Chairman, IRDAI, he was a very active member of the Executive, Technical and Implementation Committees of the International Association of Insurance Supervisors (IAIS). He took particular interest in the Working Group on Microinsurance. The IAIS had honored him as Distinguished Fellow in the year 2009 for his outstanding contribution to IAIS. After completing his five-year tenure at the Authority, he headed the State Pay Revision Commission for the state of Andhra Pradesh, which submitted its report in December 2009. The report was widely appreciated for the sensitivity displayed in addressing issues faced by employees and pensioners. In 2014, he was appointed Financial Advisor to the Government of Andhra Pradesh. Here, he played a key role in interactions with the Fourteenth Finance Commission, which were crucial for a state dealing with the aftermath of the bifurcation of the combined Andhra Pradesh state into AP and Telangana. In the year 2016, he declined an extension due to declining health, bringing to an end a long and distinguished career. His was a career made remarkable not only by the prestigious designations he held but by the integrity, professionalism, and humility with which he held them. His was a positive disposition, always considerate and courteous to those who came in contact with him. His instinct was to base all decision-making in humanitarian considerations, a quality that was highly valued by colleagues and those impacted by these decisions. He was a self-effacing personality, one who shied away from seeking praise or public acknowledgement. There was a simplicity to his approach to his life and work. He was wary of ideological grandstanding or pedantry as a basis for administration. He believed that doing a job efficiently and with the intention of benefiting ordinary people was enough. He always believed in trying to help everyone who reached out to him to the best of his abilities. In the final years, he turned his attention to helping several charitable and religious institutions. At a personal level, he was deeply devoted to God, and particularly to Lord Venkateswara. He attributed all his successes to the grace of God and retained his faith in the most testing of circumstances. Doctors treating him for an advanced lung condition marveled at his ability to stay positive in the face of great suffering. He passed away on June 28, 2018. He is survived by his wife, two sons, and two grandchildren. The Management team while lauding the guidance and services and contributions he has made to the organisation of Vedavyasa Vidya Vignana Varadhi has condoled his death and decided to constitute and endowment award to perpetuate his memory. When the team inform the decision Smt. Sri C Prabhavathi garu (wife of late C.S. Rao garu) contributed Rs. 1,00,000/- to the corpus.