Pingali Venkayya

Pingali Venkayya
Venkayya on a 2009 stamp of India
Born	12 August 1876 Bhatlapenumarru, Madras Presidency, British India ( present-day Andhra Pradesh, India)
Died	4 July 1963 (aged 86) India
Nationality	India
Known for	Design of Indian National Flag

Pingali Venkayya (2 August 1876 – 4 July 1963) was an Indian freedom fighter. He was a staunch follower of Mahatma Gandhi and the designer of the flag on which the Indian national flag was based. He was born at Bhatlapenumarru, near Machilipatnam, in what is now the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh.

Various so-called national flags had been used by members of the Indian independence movement prior to independence being achieved in 1947. Venkayya's version was first designed for the Indian National Congress and subsequently modified in 1947. Pingali Venkaiah, who was from Krishna district, designed the National Flag and presented it to Mahatma Gandhi during the latter’s visit to Vijayawada city on April 1, 1921.

According to The Hindu, "Pingali Venkayya was an authority in geology, agriculture and also an educationist who set up an educational institution in Machilipatnam. He, however, died in poverty in 1963 and was largely forgotten by the society." A postage stamp was issued to commemorate him in 2009 and in 2011 it was proposed that he be posthumously awarded the Bharat Ratna. The decision by the Centre is yet to be taken on the proposal.