V. S. Subramanya Iyer

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V. S. Subrahmanya Iyer (born 21 October 1877) was an Indian administrator who served as the Diwan (prime minister) of the princely state of Travancore from 1929 to 1932.

He was born to S. Vaidyanatha Iyer and studied at St. Joseph’s College. He worked as an advocate in Travancore and later became Chief Justice of the High Court of Travancore before his appointment as Diwan in 1929, succeeding E. W. Watts. He served as Diwan until 1932, when Thomas Austin I.C.S. succeeded him.

In 1930, Venkatarama Iyer was appointed Commissioner of Travancore Devaswom. In 1931, Subrahmanya Iyer faced a student hartal in Travancore following the death of Motilal Nehru.

After his retirement, he remained active in public life. On 25 November 1932, Sir C. P. Ramaswami Iyer appointed him President of a committee to gauge public opinion before introducing the Temple Entry Proclamation. Other members were Ulloor Parameswara Iyer, Mahadeva Iyer and Nambi Nilakanta Sarma. The committee interviewed both supporters and opponents of temple entry and submitted a report discouraging it; however, Ramaswami Iyer proceeded with the proclamation.

In 1934, Subrahmanya Iyer became president of the Kerala Hindu Mission. After Rabindranath Tagore’s death in 1941, a Kerala Tagore Academy was formed with Subrahmanya Iyer as its president.