# Vishnu Sahay
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{{Short description|Indian politician (1901–1989)}}
{{Use Indian English|date=April 2015}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2026}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Vishnu Sahay
| birth_date = 22 November 1901
| death_date = {{death date and age|3 April 1989|22 November 1901|df=y}}
| relations = [Bhagwan Sahay](/source/Bhagwan_Sahay) (brother)
| office = [Governor of Assam](/source/Governor_of_Assam)
| term_start1 = 12 November 1960
| term_end1 = 13 January 1961
| president1 = [Rajendra Prasad](/source/Rajendra_Prasad)
| 1blankname1 = Chief Minister
| 1namedata1 = [Bimala Prasad Chaliha](/source/Bimala_Prasad_Chaliha)
| predecessor1 = [S. M. Shrinagesh](/source/S._M._Shrinagesh)
| successor1 = S. M. Shrinagesh
| term_start = 7 September 1962
| term_end = 17 April 1968
| president = [Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan](/source/Sarvepalli_Radhakrishnan)
[Zakir Husain](/source/Zakir_Husain)
| 1blankname = Chief Minister
| 1namedata = [Bimala Prasad Chaliha](/source/Bimala_Prasad_Chaliha)
| predecessor = [S. M. Shrinagesh](/source/S._M._Shrinagesh)
| successor = [Braj Kumar Nehru](/source/Braj_Kumar_Nehru)
| office2 = [Governor of Nagaland](/source/Governor_of_Nagaland)
| term_start2 = 1 December 1963
| term_end2 = 16 April 1968
| president2 = [Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan](/source/Sarvepalli_Radhakrishnan)
[Zakir Husain](/source/Zakir_Husain)
| 1blankname2 = Chief Minister
| 1namedata2 = [P. Shilu Ao](/source/P._Shilu_Ao)
[Thepfülo-u Nakhro](/source/Thepf%C3%BClo-u_Nakhro)
| predecessor2 = ''Position created''
| successor2 = [Braj Kumar Nehru](/source/Braj_Kumar_Nehru)
| office3 = [Cabinet Secretary of India](/source/Cabinet_Secretary_(India))
| term_start4 = 9 March 1961
| term_end4 = 15 April 1962
| prime_minister4 = [Jawaharlal Nehru](/source/Jawaharlal_Nehru)
| predecessor4 = B. N. Jha
| successor4 = S. S. Khera
| term_start3 = 1 July 1958
| term_end3 = 10 November 1960
| prime_minister3 = [Jawaharlal Nehru](/source/Jawaharlal_Nehru)
| predecessor3 = [M. K. Vellodi](/source/M._K._Vellodi)
| successor3 = B. N. Jha
}}
'''Vishnu Sahay''' (22 November 1901 – 3 April 1989)[{{cite book|last=Mukherjee|first=Amiya Ranjan|title=Current Affairs|year=1961|publisher=A. Mukherjee & Company|page=315|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pigYAQAAIAAJ&q=Vishnu+Sahay}}][[https://books.google.com/books?id=MXchAAAAQBAJ&dq=vishnu+sahay+1901&pg=PA733 Asia & Pacific Oceania], 2003, S. 733] was a former [ICS](/source/Indian_Civil_Service) officer and [Cabinet Secretary of India](/source/Cabinet_Secretary_(India)) who served as [Governor of Assam](/source/Governor_of_Assam) and [Nagaland](/source/Governor_of_Nagaland) following his retirement.
== Early life and education ==
Sahay was the elder brother of [Bhagawan Sahay](/source/Bhagwan_Sahay), also an ICS officer and a former [Governor of Kerala](/source/Governor_of_Kerala) and [Himachal Pradesh](/source/Governor_of_Himachal_Pradesh).[{{cite news|title=A place in the sun|url=http://www.thedailystar.net/2007/2006/07/23/d607231502119.htm|accessdate=7 March 2013|newspaper=The Daily Star|date=23 July 2006}}] Vishnu Sahay studied at the SM College, [Chandausi](/source/Chandausi) and at the [Oxford University](/source/Oxford_University).[{{cite web|title=SM College - Alumni|url=http://smcollegechandausi.org/alumni.html|publisher=SM College|accessdate=7 March 2013|archive-date=27 September 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130927205959/http://smcollegechandausi.org/alumni.html|url-status=dead}}][{{cite book|last=Lahiri|first=Shompa|title=Indians in Britain: Anglo-Indian Encounters, Race and Identity, 1880-1930|year=2000|publisher=Frank Cass Publishers|location=London|page=72|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GuvRWlN_cQkC&q=vishnu+sahay+&pg=PA72|isbn=9780714649863}}] He was a member of the 1925 batch of the ICS, passing the exams on 16 October of that year.[[http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/33100/pages/7264 The London Gazette, 6 November 1925]] Somewhat unusually, he was never awarded any of the honours which a civilian of his long service would have normally received.
== Civil servant ==
Sahay had a long and distinguished career in the [Indian Civil Service](/source/Indian_Civil_Service). He served as Cane Commissioner of [Uttar Pradesh](/source/Uttar_Pradesh) and Sugar Controller for India,[{{cite web|title=Problems Of Sugar Industry In India|url=https://archive.org/stream/problemsofsugari031887mbp/problemsofsugari031887mbp_djvu.txt|accessdate=7 March 2013}}] and as Secretary of Agriculture to the [Government of India](/source/Government_of_India) in which post, impressed by the [Kaira Cooperative](/source/Kaira_District_Co-operative_Milk_Producers'_Union), he helped [Verghese Kurien](/source/Verghese_Kurien) of [Amul](/source/Amul) get a scholarship to study dairying in [New Zealand](/source/New_Zealand).[{{cite book|last=Heredia|first=Ruth|title=The Amul India Story|year=1997|publisher=Tata McGraw Hill|location=New Delhi|pages=104–105|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TYEkjpYkHrMC&q=vishnu+sahay+ics&pg=PA104|isbn=9780074631607}}] He also served as Secretary for Kashmir Affairs in the [Ministry of External Affairs](/source/Ministry_of_External_Affairs_(India))[{{cite news|title=The Dixon Plan|url=http://www.frontlineonnet.com/fl1921/stories/20021025002508200.htm|accessdate=7 March 2013|newspaper=Frontline|date=12–25 October 2002}}] and was Cabinet Secretary of India twice during 1958–1960 and during 1961–1962.[{{cite web|title=Cabinet Secretaries Since 1950|url=http://cabsec.nic.in/about_cabinet.php|publisher=Cabinet Secretariat|accessdate=7 March 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100310080436/http://cabsec.nic.in/about_cabinet.php|archive-date=10 March 2010|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}][{{cite book|last=Maheshwari|first=S R|title=Indian Administration|year=2001|publisher=Orient Longman|location=New Delhi|page=47|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=E_Qu6ePC40kC&q=vishnu+sahay+cabinet+secretary&pg=PA47|isbn=9788125019886|edition=Sixth}}]
== Gubernatorial tenure ==
Sahay was a two time Governor of Assam serving from 12 November 1960 to 13 January 1961 and from 7 September 1962 to 17 April 1968.[{{cite web|title=States of India since 1947|url=http://www.worldstatesmen.org/India_states.html|accessdate=7 March 2013}}][{{cite web|title=Governors of Assam since 1937 onwards|url=http://assamassembly.gov.in/governor-list.html|accessdate=7 March 2013}}] As Governor of Assam, Sahay signed the Ceasefire Agreement with the Naga insurgents in 1964.[{{cite web|title=Dawn of Peace in Nagaland|url=http://nagaland.nic.in/profile/history/peace.htm|accessdate=7 March 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120314113027/http://nagaland.nic.in/profile/history/peace.htm|archive-date=14 March 2012|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}] He was also the first Governor of Nagaland, holding that office from 1 December 1963 – 17 April 1968.