Teachers recall the time these leaders were their students

For a teacher, nothing brings more pleasure and a sense of pride than knowing that their student has carved a success story of their own. On Teachers’ Day, Chennai Times speaks to teachers and principals of three of the biggest success stories from the state — Nirmala Sitharaman (Defence Minister), Sundar Pichai (CEO, Google) and Indra Krishnamurthy Nooyi (Chairperson & CEO, PepsiCo) — to know how they were as students…
Nirmala had the guts to face everything- Kanaka Bashyam
On Sunday, K Veni Devi, a retired history professor of Seethalakshmi Ramaswami College (Trichy), was glued to the television to see her student take oath as the first full-time woman defence minister of India.The student was none other than Nirmala Sitharaman, who is the second woman, after Indira Gandhi, to hold this important portfolio.Veni (65), who taught Nirmala political science when she was pursuing her BA Economics between 1977 and 1980 in the college, recalls, “It was always a challenge to have her in the class; her knowledge of history and politics was commendable. I had to prepare a lot before presenting it in the class because Nirmala would always ask many questions. She knew everything, be it politics or history. Besides, she was an obedient student.”
Nirmala was an excellent debater and used to participate in quiz competitions, says Kanaka Bashyam (61), who retired as principal of the college. She says, “I’d joined the college when Nirmala was in her first year. She had the guts to face everything. I got quite close to her as I was in charge of the debate and quiz clubs, which she was an active member of. I was serving as the principal in 2012 when Nirmala visited the college. She inspired a whole generation of students with her speech. It’s her hard work that has made her what she is today.”
Indra was the guitarist of her band- Dr VJ Philip
Scoring centum in board exams does not guarantee that you will become a leader in the future. And a living testimony to the statement is Indra Krishnamurthy Nooyi! An average chemistry student, today, she is leading an American multinational food, snack and beverage corporation.
Dr VJ Philip, a professor who taught Indra in Madras Christian College (Chennai), back then, recalls, “She was one of my first students when I became a professor after studying in the same college. It was 1973 and I was taking her organic chemistry class. Though Indra was an average student, she would stun people with her brilliant ideas. We worked together on a chemistry magazine for the college. She was totally dedicated, and worked hard to collect content for the magazine — doing a lot of research, typing out all the data and compiling it. She was probably the only one in her batch who travelled from one corner of the city to the other to get sponsorship for the magazine.”
Indra was not just into academics; she was also good at singing. In fact, she had her own band and she was the guitarist. “When I visited New York with my wife in 2004, she was there to receive me with warmth. Last year, she visited the college to inaugurate a cultural programme and we spent a lot of time reminiscing about old times,” says Dr Philip. “Not everything in life depends on academics. It’s just a basic education system, and a teacher must mould his/her students keeping in mind what they are best at. This is the only way to push students towards the staircase of success,” he avers.
Sundar’s interest lay in science, and he was a studious student
Today, he is the CEO of one of the largest tech companies. He delivers talks and lectures across the globe, and people keenly await announcements of products from his end. But Sundar Pichai is remembered for his interest in science by his classmates and teachers. Alice Jeevan, principal of Jawahar Vidyalaya (Chennai), from where he completed his Class 10, in 1987, recalls, “As a student, Sundar was keenly interested in science. He would compete with some of the best students in class, especially in science and mathematics. He was always calm and composed, and would let nothing perturb him. His younger brother also studied in our school. In fact, he was more active than Sundar. But, Sundar was studious and would take part in intra and inter-school events, especially in science exhibitions and projects. Initially, we really didn’t expect him to make it so big; he was an above-average student. But once we saw the courses he took up and the renowned institutions he went to, we knew he had it in him. His grit and hard work have paid off. Now, he has reached great heights and we are really proud of him. We closely follow ideas and views he shares through the media.”