The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Aram Award for Gandhigram trustee

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Jul 02, 2006

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Aram Award for Gandhigram trustee

Staff Reporter

Instituted by Shriram Literary Association for adhering to Tirukkural virtues

R. Kousalya Devi

CHENNAI: R. Kousalya Devi, Managing Trustee of Gandhigram Trust, Dindigul, has been chosen for this year's Aram Award, instituted by Shriram Literary Association, for adhering to the virtues quoted in the Thirukkural.

Ms. Devi, 75, is a doctor by profession and social worker by choice. After serving in several Government hospitals across the State, she joined Gandhigram to work for the welfare of underprivileged women and children. She also implemented several outreach programmes for rural people through the Gandhigram Institute of Rural Health and Family Welfare Trust.

Avvai Natarajan, the association's Thirukural Festival Committee chairman, said the award would include a cash prize of Rs. 1 lakh. Ms. Devi was the third recipient of the award.

R. Kannan, Shriram Group Director, said the association had been organising the festival since 1988 to promote the values quoted in the Thirukkural. Eminent persons had been awarded. Besides presenting the award, the association conducted State-level oratorical contests for school and college students.

The award function would be held on July 3 at Narada Gana Sabha where Finance Minister K. Anbazhagan would present the award and prizes.

About 1,800 students from Tirunelveli, Salem and Madurai had participated, he said. At the junior level (class six to eight), A. Gokul Priya of Government HSS, Salem, won the first prize followed by M. Tamil Poonguil Mozhi of Velammal HSS, Chennai, and P. Sinduja of Mount St. Joseph HSS, Thiruvannamalai.

A. Saahul Hameed of Ukkadai A. Appaavu Thevar HSS, Tanjore, bagged the first place at the senior level (class nine to 12). T. Chandrasekaran of CSI Boys HSS, Karur, and A. Raja, Caramel HSS, Nagercoil, won the second and third places.

At the college level, A.K. Rajaraman, Govt. Law College, Trichy, won the first place and S. Jameela Begam, Mohammed Sathak Nursing College, Chennai, and N. Punitha of Pondicherry Engineering college bagged the second and third places respectively.

The first prize winners would receive Rs. 5,000 and the second and third prizes would comprise a cash award of Rs. 3,000 and Rs. 2,000 respectively.

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