 Dr. Palpu was posted as the first health officer during the plague outbreak and played a key role in containing the spread in Bangalore.The Maharaja of Mysore later felicitated him for arduous service to state, and he was instrumental in setting up the Victoria Hospital (Bangalore Medical College) in Bangalore.In 1903, he founded the Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana Yogam (SNDP) with the guidance and blessings of Sree Narayana Guru to create a modern outlook among people.