| Honorific-Prefix: | Professor |
| K. D. Arulpragasam | |
| Order1: | 1st |
| Office1: | Vice-Chancellor of the Eastern University, Sri Lanka |
| Term Start1: | 1986 |
| Term End1: | 1989 |
| Birth Name: | Kandiah David Arulpragasam |
| Birth Date: | 16 September 1931 |
| Death Place: | Colombo, Sri Lanka |
| Alma Mater: | S. Thomas' College St. John's College Hartley College Ananda College University of Ceylon University of Wales University of Southampton |
| Profession: | Academic |
| Blank1: | Ethnicity |
| Data1: | Sri Lankan Tamil |
Professor Kandiah David Arulpragasam (16 September 1931 - 7 August 2003) was a Sri Lankan Tamil academic. He was the first vice-chancellor of Eastern University, Sri Lanka.
Arulpragasam was born on 16 September 1931.[1] He was educated at the S. Thomas' College, Mount Lavinia, St. John's College, Jaffna, Hartley College and Ananda College.[2] After school he joined the University of Ceylon, Colombo from where he graduated with BSc degree in zoology.[1] He then went to the UK for postgraduate studies.[2] He gained a Phd in marine zoology from the University of Wales.[1] He then did post-doctoral training in oceanography at the University of Southampton.[1]
Arulpragasam never married but lived with his brother (Arulanantham) and sister-in-law (Padma).[1]
Arulpragasam joined the Department of Zoology at the Faculty of Science, University of Colombo, becoming Professor of Zoology in 1973.[3] He was Dean of the Faculty of Science for a couple of years.[1]
Arulpragasam was appointed Director of Batticaloa University College in April 1985.[4] The college was given full university status in October 1986 and Arulpragasam became its first vice-chancellor.[2] [4]
In October 1996 Arulpragasam was appointed Vice Chairman (Planning) of the second National Education Commission.[5] [6] He was chairman of the Central Environmental Authority and First Associate Director of the Institute of Fundamental Studies.[3] He was also a member of the University Grants Commission and the Governing Council of the National Aquatic Research and Resources Development Authority.[3] [6] He was president of the National Academy of Sciences between 1995 and 1997.[7]
Arulpragasam died in Colombo on 7 August 2003.[2]