Sir Chettur Sankaran Nair CIE (11 July 1857 – 24 April 1934) was an Indian lawyer and statesman who served as the Advocate-General of Madras from 1906 to 1908, on the High Court of Madras as a puisne justice from 1908 to 1915, and as India-wide Education minister as a member of the Viceroy's Executive Council from 1915 until 1919.

He was elected president of the 1897 Indian National Congress, and led the Egmore faction, opposing the Mylapore group.

In 1908, he became a permanent Judge in the High Court of Madras and held the post till 1915.

White, then the Chief Justice of Madras, William Ayling, as a special case.

[3] In the meantime, in 1902, the Viceroy Lord Curzon appointed him Secretary to the Raleigh University Commission.

He played an active part in the Indian National movement which was gathering force in those days.

In a masterly address, he referred to the highhandedness of foreign administration, called for reforms and asked for self-government for India with Dominion Status.

When the Viceregal announcement came granting Dominion Status as the ultimate goal for India, Sir Sankaran Nair retired from active politics.

[9] His grand-nephew (niece Ammukutty Amma's son) was K. K. Chettur, an ICS officer who also served as India's first ambassador to Japan.