Tamil Nadu minister R Sakkarapani gets American College’s Sankaraiah award

CHENNAI: Food and civil supplies minister of Tamil Nadu R Sakkarapani has been chosen for the N Sankaraiah Award for Excellence in Nation building, instituted by the alumni association of the 142-year-old The American College, based in Madurai. Nine others have been similarly chosen for different awards under various categories.

The alumni association has arranged a mega carnival on the college campus on Saturday, said the college principal M Davamani Christopher.

Among awardees are senior advocate and Tamil Nadu Advocate-General R Shunmugasundaram, who is receiving Justice A Alagiriswami Award for Law and the Constitution and V Anantha Nageswaran, chief economic advisor, government of India, for Prof G Devarajan Award for Excellence in Humanities, said the American College Alumni Association-Madras Center president P Chandrasekaran.

While Theni district collector R V Shajeevana will receive Tyagi Lakshmikanthan Bharathi Award for Excellence in Public Administration, Shanthi Mohan, senior principal of TCS Lakshmi Matriculation School has been chosen for Tmt Krishnammal Jegannathan Award for Women Empowerment.

Prof R Nedumaran will receive Dr Paul L Love Award for Excellence in Teaching, while Nanneer founder Karthikeyan Nachiappan will receive Actor Vivek Award for Deep Environmental Concern.

Other recipients are C Jerrold (Director Mahendran Award for Excellence in Film and Entertainment), Pon Sasikumar, senior education officer, ministry of education, Singapore for Dr Savarirajan Award for Excellence in Academia, T Venkatesan for G Venkataswamy Award for Excellence in Community Service, and T Godwin Rajkumar for the Special Carnival Award.

More than 2,800 alumni members from across the world have signed up for the day-long carnival in Madurai, and the events will commence with a carnival rally to be flagged off by Tyagi Lakshmikanthan Bharathi and the bhoodan movement crusader Krishnammal Jegannathan.