Our Proud Alumni - From Classrooms to the World
Here are some of our stories of other alumni. We hope this edition provides both insight and inspiration and shines the spotlight on what our alumni are doing to make a positive impact in their respective fields.
M r . T.R. JAWAHAR
T. R. Jawahar, Group Editor, Chairman and Managing Director of News Today, Maalaisudar and Talk Media, has a deep-rooted association with Jawahar Vidyalaya. Jawahar Vidyalaya, a CBSE school, was started in the year 1967 in Ashok Nagar as a unit of Stree Seva Mandir, and T. R. Jawahar was virtually the first student of the school, joining LKG at the age of three. He completed his schooling in 1981 after a 14-year stint and topped the commerce group in the 12th standard CBSE examination, for which the school honoured him specially in 1992 during its silver jubilee celebrations held at the Mahodaya Auditorium. His house was close to the school and many Jawahar Vidyalaya students spent considerable time there, making it almost like a second Jawahar Vidyalaya. His parents, Mr. T. R. Ramaswamy, a doyen of journalism in India, and Mrs. Indira Ramaswamy, along with their four children, were like family to Jawahar Vidyalaya, and his sister Jayashree was also a student of JV. Mrs. A. C. Krishna Rao, the founder of the Stree Seva Mandir group of institutions, was very closely associated with Jawahar’s family throughout her life. After school, Jawahar pursued B.Com. at Loyola College, an autonomous institution, where he completed the CA entrance examination and ICWA intermediate, finishing the latter by the time he completed college. Soon after, he joined R. K. Kumar & Company as a CA intern for three years, during which he completed ICWA final, emerged as a rank holder in CA intermediate, and later cleared CA final as a rank holder within a year, completing CA six months ahead of his articleship at the age of 21–22. He began his practice along with his relative K. S. Muralidharan under the banner of M/s Murali Jawahar & Company, but his father’s profession of journalism attracted him more, leading him to enter News Today. After the passing away of his father T. R. R. in the late 80s, Jawahar took over News Today and further carried forward his father’s journalistic legacy by founding the popular Tamil eveninger Maalai Sudar. His most path-breaking venture is Talk Media, a publication stable of neighbourhood weeklies covering Chennai, and his Point-Blank column is widely read for its forthright, cheeky, and witty views. His love for Jawahar Vidyalaya is evident in the way he consistently covered its functions and events in his publications. Jawahar married Kausalya in 1990, their daughter Bhargavi also completed her Plus Two at JV, and the family continued a close relationship with Stree Seva Mandir, being special invitees of Mrs. Krishna Rao for all functions, with her passing being a matter of personal grief for them. Jawahar expresses deep gratitude to his mentors including Mrs. Susan George Pulimood, Mr. Krishnan, Mrs. Pattammal, Mrs. Alphonsa Jacob, Mrs. Sharadha, Mrs. Elizabeth Thomas, Mrs. Ambujavalli Gopalan, Mrs. Uma Prabhakrishnan, Mrs. Shahida Begum, Mrs. Alice Jeevan, Mrs. Meenakshi, Mr. Victor, and many others during his long association with JV from its inception, and he continues to remain in close touch with his friends and teachers, often stating that his years at Jawahar Vidyalaya remain the most memorable part of his life, a sentiment he also shared in his article titled “JV Days” written for the school souvenir several years ago.
Dr. LAKSHMI SUNDARARAJAN
My association with Jawahar Vidyalaya has been as a student during my formative years, from 4th to 10th standard. My memories of the school are pleasant with the encouragement, support and personal attention received, as well as with the freedom for personal growth and development during my time there. It is indeed a tribute to the teachers that I still carry their words of wisdom with me after all these years. After schooling, I went on to complete MBBS at Stanley Medical College, Chennai, MS general surgery at Safdarjung Hospital, New Delhi and MCH Paediatric Surgery at AIIMS, New Delhi. Further training in the UK included completing the FRCS Paediatric Surgery (Parts I, II and III). With an abundance of god’s grace, good fortune and hard work, I have been the school topper in JV, College batch topper at Stanley and Safdarjung, as well as a recipient of numerous medals, including the Hallet Prize for FRCS in the UK. After a short stint (2.5 yrs.) as a consultant in the UK, I have returned to Chennai and presently (10 yrs.) work as a Senior Consultant in Paediatric Surgery and Urology at Kanchi Kamakoti CHILDS Trust Hospital, Nungambakkam. Chennai, specialising in minimal access surgery (laparoscopy). Today, I also play the role of a teacher, training the young doctors in the intricacies of paediatric surgery as well as in their overall personality development as a doctor and surgeon. My advice to you all, as the future torch bearers of our country as well as the human race, is to aim for all-around development. The school is not only a place for academic study and excellence, but also for learning about social and interpersonal skills, which are very important in today’s and tomorrow’s world. Do learn to broaden your horizons, think rationally, broadly and deeply; question what you see around you – “why and why not”; give importance to ethical values, to differentiate between ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ and practice to tread the narrow principled path in life, which is the only guarantee of mental peace and happiness. Equally important is to strive for physical health with healthy food habits and adequate exercise, so that when you reap the fruits of your hard work as adults, your body is not going to let you down! And finally, do take the time and space in your life to unwind, relax and for your ‘me’ time as “All work and no play makes one a very dull boy (girl) indeed”. God be with you all!
Dr. P. SENTHUR NAMBI
Dr. P. Senthur Nambi was a student of Jawahar Vidyalaya from the year 1989 to 1994 (VI – X Std) and stood first in the Class X CBSE exam in the year 1994. He has very pleasant memories of JV and feels very grateful for the role that JV played in honing his skills and the development of his personality. He did his MBBS from Stanley Medical College, Chennai and his MD in General Medicine from Kilpauk Medical College, Chennai. He belongs to the first batch of Infectious Diseases sub-specialists to be trained in India through the Fellowship conducted by the National Board of Examinations, New Delhi. He also holds the Specialty Certificate in Infectious Diseases awarded by the Royal College of Physicians, UK and the Post-Doctoral Fellowship in Infectious Diseases awarded by The Tamil Nadu Dr. MGR Medical University. He is the Secretary of the Clinical Infectious Disease Society (CIDS), India. He is a Consultant in Infectious Diseases and Infection Control at Apollo Hospitals, Greams Road, Chennai, and also consults at Apollo Speciality Hospitals OMR, Apollo Proton Cancer Centre and Apollo First Med Hospital, Kilpauk. He has 36 publications, 2 textbook chapters and 41 international conference abstracts in the field of Infectious Diseases and believes in compassionate health care delivery.
Dr.S. SUBRAMANIAN
I am Dr. S. Subramanian, a Pediatrician. Let me begin by congratulating you all for braving the challenges caused by the COVID pandemic. I am sure this is going to be a life changing experience to you, so make the journey ahead wonderful and vibrant. You all know that getting into the medical profession is incredibly challenging, but I was prepared for those challenges by our own school, Jawahar Vidyalaya. The early growing years, which we call the formative years, indeed shape our life, and I am extremely fortunate to have been shaped by our school. You too are fortunate to be here guided by our experienced and expert teachers. As a student of JV, I have had many sweet memories and experiences, and these early age experiences have shaped my outlook and made me what I am today. I am thankful to all from the JV family for this. My profession makes me care for children and I am incredibly happy to see children who have all the wings of imagination and hopes. It pains me to see that the current pandemic has altered your mode of learning, your playtime, etc., but never give up, bright days are ahead. Let me give a pro tip: develop good sleep habits, which we call sleep hygiene. You need on an average 6 to 8 hours of sleep, rise early and get some early morning sunlight, plan and prepare for the day and go to your online classes. Make sure you get off your screens when you get break time and move around, do some physical activity for an hour a day and enjoy a balanced meal, so you can stay healthy. I work in a specialty that makes me work with children with special needs. These children have emotions too, just that they have some specific challenges physically or mentally, and they are yearning to be your friends too. Try to spend time with some special child to know about their world, as this will widen your horizon. Education is more than learning lessons; it is about learning to live our life, learning to adapt to challenges, holding on to values and upholding virtues, so remember these to succeed. The best thing about school is friends, and I am still in touch with my schoolmates, as they are lifelong mates. But remember that a good leader is one who mingles with everyone, so have your inner circle but that must not preclude you from having a pleasant relationship with everyone in the class. A good team player is the one who can succeed in life. We are surrounded by a world of plenty, plenty of good as well as unwanted things, and we are free to choose but we are not free to escape the consequences, so the choice is yours. Best wishes, dear schoolmates.
Dr. M . ASHWIN
Myself Dr. Ashwin, Assistant Commandant in the Central Reserve Police Force and an alumnus of the prestigious Jawahar Vidyalaya, where I studied from 1st standard to 10th standard. Achievements, appreciation, opportunities, and clarity of thought are what I gained from Jawahar Vidyalaya, and I am proud to be a Jawaharite. Speaking about my career, after completing my 12th standard at SBOA School and Junior College, I pursued my MBBS at Pondicherry Institute of Medical Sciences, Puducherry, in the year 2010. Medical college was an entirely different experience, and after completing the first and second years, that is the preclinical phase, I entered the clinical years where we came in contact with real patients, and that was when I decided that I should not follow the conventional path taken by most doctors. I always craved adventure in life and was passionate about trekking, skiing, mountaineering, and skydiving, and during this search I came to know about combat-trained doctors in the Central Reserve Police Force, the largest paramilitary force in the world, which motivated me to work towards that goal. In 2018, my dream finally came true when I was selected as Assistant Commandant, a Group A gazetted post, in CRPF. The force handles a wide range of duties including law and order, counter-insurgency, anti-militancy, and anti-naxal operations, and plays a key role in assisting State Governments and Union Territory administrations in maintaining public order and countering subversive activities of naxalites, militant groups, and insurgents, with operations in Jammu and Kashmir, the North East, and Left Wing Extremism affected states across the country. I underwent basic training at the CRPF Academy, Kadharpur, Gurugram, and my first posting was at Jodhpur, and being a combat-trained doctor is a challenging role that gives me unparalleled pride in serving mankind as well as our motherland. In 2020, when COVID was declared a pandemic, I got the opportunity to serve at the Sardar Patel COVID Care Center and Hospital, New Delhi, a 10,000-bedded facility and the world’s largest COVID care center, where we treated more than 12,000 COVID cases and created a record of zero deaths. At present, I am serving in COBRA, which stands for Commando Battalion for Resolute Action, a special force of CRPF raised for fighting guerrilla and jungle warfare, also known as Jungle Warriors, with courage, zeal, and patriotism as our hallmarks. We fight guerrilla warfare like guerrillas, and COBRA is one of the Central Armed Police forces trained to survive, fight, and win in jungle conditions and is undoubtedly among the best in the country. Today, I stand before society as a doctor serving mankind and as a soldier serving the mother nation. Jai Hind.
Mr. B.S MUBARAK, IFS
B. S. Mubarak studied at Jawahar Vidyalaya from 1983 to 1989 (Class IV to Class X) and has very fond memories of his years at JV, with all his close friends till date being from his school days, including Kannan K, Raju Siva, Thiagarajan, and Mohan Raja. He lived in Ashok Nagar during his school and college years, and his brother Dr. Mohammed, who also studied at JV, is presently a hematologist in Australia. Mr. B. S. Mubarak is a career diplomat and an Indian Foreign Service officer who joined the IFS in 2001 and has served in Cairo, Dubai, and Jeddah; he headed India’s Diplomatic Mission in Palestine from 2012 to 2014 and served as Consul General of India in Jeddah from 2014 to 2016. Before assuming charge as Ambassador of India to Guatemala in December 2018, he served as Director and later Joint Secretary in the Southern Division of the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi. He holds a Master’s degree in Science from the Centre of Advanced Study in Marine Biology, Tamil Nadu, India, and takes a special interest in sustainable development. He is married to Lathifa Mubarak, and they have a daughter, Manaal, and a son, Abdul Mannaan. The photograph was taken during his call on the President of India before assuming charge as Ambassador of India to Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras.
Mr. ASHWIN BHASKARAN IFS
Mr. Ashwin Bhaskaran, a career diplomat from the 2013 batch of the Indian Foreign Service (IFS), has had a varied work experience across both the public and private sectors. Born on 26th March 1986 in Chennai, India, he is a proud alumnus of Jawahar Vidyalaya, where he spent most of his formative years under the guidance of the JV principals. After completing his schooling, he secured Tamil Nadu State Distinction in the Higher Secondary School Examinations and went on to earn a Bachelor’s Degree with Honours in Electrical Engineering from the College of Engineering Guindy (2003–2007), followed by an MBA from IIM Kozhikode (2007–2009). He received a Pre-Placement Offer from ITC Limited, a leading FMCG company in India, and worked with the organization for over four years across locations including Kolkata, Bangalore, Patna, and Chennai, handling diverse roles across various Strategic Business Units. In 2013, while working full time with ITC Limited, he cracked the Civil Services Examination and secured a position in the IFS. He has since served at the Headquarters of the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India, New Delhi, and in Indian Missions abroad in Europe and Africa. Currently, he is serving as First Secretary and Head of Chancery at the Indian High Commission in Seychelles, handling Development Cooperation, Defence, Indian Diaspora Affairs, and Administrative Issues under the guidance of Ambassador Gen. Dalbir Singh Suhag (Retd.). His key assignments in New Delhi include serving as Under Secretary in the Indian Ocean Region Division handling Sri Lanka from 2013 to 2015. His overseas assignments include serving as Third and Second Secretary at the Embassy of India in Madrid, Spain, from August 2015 to October 2017, during which he successfully completed the Diplomatic Masters Course at the Spanish Diplomatic College, becoming the first Indian diplomat to do so, and as Second and First Secretary at the High Commission of India in Seychelles from November 2017. He is presently serving as Under Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs handling the Nepal Desk. He speaks fluent Hindi, English, and Tamil, and has full professional proficiency in Spanish.
JUSTICE G.R. SWAMINATHAN
Justice G. R. Swaminathan hails from Thiruvarur and moved to Chennai in the year 1977 when his father was transferred. He joined Jawahar Vidyalaya in Class VI, having studied in the Tamil medium until then, and he gratefully remembers the mentoring of his teachers, particularly Mrs. Kamala Devi. After completing his law degree, he worked as a full-time social worker for about fifteen months and enrolled as an Advocate in the year 1991. He went on to have a flourishing practice in all branches of law and became the Assistant Solicitor General of India for the Madurai Bench in 2014. During his practice, he obtained an order for the issuance of electoral ID cards for transgenders and secured a ban on sand mining in the Thamirabarani River for five years. He was elevated as a Judge of the Madras High Court in 2017, and in June 2019 he released his performance card emphasizing the need for judicial accountability. He is credited with several landmark judgments upholding personal liberties, press freedom, and the right of transgenders to marry.
Dr. R. SATHYA, DISTRICT JUDGE
I, Dr. R. Sathya, a proud alumna of Jawahar Vidyalaya Senior Secondary School, Chennai, and currently serving as the District Judge, Mahila and POCSO Court, Pudukkottai District, take this opportunity to share my journey from our school to the judiciary. I was a student of Jawahar Vidyalaya from 6th standard to 12th standard and belonged to the 1986 batch of the Commerce group. During my school days, I developed a strong interest in pursuing a career in law and aspired to join a law university. After completing my 12th standard, I successfully cleared the Tamil Nadu Law Entrance Examination and had the privilege of pursuing the five-year Integrated Bachelor of Law course at the prestigious Madras Law College. Upon successful completion of my B.L. degree, I enrolled as an advocate in 1991 and began my practice in a renowned law firm. While practicing, I developed a keen inclination to pursue higher studies in law and went on to complete my Master’s degree in International and Constitutional Law from Madras University.
I continued my private practice as an advocate in various law offices to gain experience in both civil and criminal matters. In 1998, I appeared for the Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission examination to join the prosecution service and was among the few selected candidates. I joined as an Assistant Public Prosecutor in 1999 and served in various courts in Vellore District and Chennai. Within a year, this experience motivated me to take on a larger role in public service, and I cleared the Civil Judge examination conducted by the Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission in September 2000 to join the Tamil Nadu Judicial Service. I was selected in the Open Category, having secured the first rank in the state. During my judicial tenure, I served in various districts of Tamil Nadu and was promoted as District Judge in 2018. I am presently officiating as the Sessions Judge of the Mahila and POCSO Court, Pudukkottai District, which deals with cases relating to women and children, and I have endeavoured to deliver justice with utmost sincerity and sensitivity.
I would like to place on record that after assuming charge, I disposed of many long-pending civil and criminal cases and delivered landmark judgments, including awarding a triple death sentence to the accused involved in a heinous crime against a seven-year-old girl within a short period of three months. Even amidst the challenging circumstances of the COVID pandemic, I continued to pronounce judgments relating to the abuse of children and delivered a hat-trick of death sentences within five months, bringing a measure of solace to young victims of physical abuse and harassment. Alongside my judicial responsibilities, I enrolled in a doctoral programme in law at The Dr. Ambedkar Law University, Chennai, successfully defended my thesis on “Structure and Functioning of Subordinate Judiciary,” and was conferred a Doctorate in Law in the year 2015.
My journey from school to the completion of my doctoral programme has taught me that anything is possible with determination, perseverance, and a genuine interest to excel. My school days at Jawahar Vidyalaya were enriched by a fine balance of academics and extracurricular activities, and the learning methodology imbibed in the school instilled in me a lifelong thirst for knowledge. The academic rigour motivated us to learn continuously, while self-learning methods encouraged exploration and independent thinking. Our teachers taught us the values of self-discipline, humility, and integrity. I remain deeply grateful to my beloved teachers and classmates for the beautiful growing-up years at Jawahar Vidyalaya, a school that was not merely a place of learning but a nurturing environment that allowed every seed to grow into a strong and meaningful tree. Thank you.
Dr. R. SATHYA, DISTRICT JUDGE
I, Dr. R. Sathya, a proud alumna of Jawahar Vidyalaya Senior Secondary School, Chennai, and currently serving as the District Judge, Mahila and POCSO Court, Pudukkottai District, take this opportunity to share my journey from our school to the judiciary. I was a student of Jawahar Vidyalaya from 6th standard to 12th standard and belonged to the 1986 batch of the Commerce group. During my school days, I developed a strong interest in pursuing a career in law and aspired to join a law university. After completing my 12th standard, I successfully cleared the Tamil Nadu Law Entrance Examination and had the privilege of pursuing the five-year Integrated Bachelor of Law course at the prestigious Madras Law College. Upon successful completion of my B.L. degree, I enrolled as an advocate in 1991 and began my practice in a renowned law firm. While practicing, I developed a keen inclination to pursue higher studies in law and went on to complete my Master’s degree in International and Constitutional Law from Madras University.
I continued my private practice as an advocate in various law offices to gain experience in both civil and criminal matters. In 1998, I appeared for the Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission examination to join the prosecution service and was among the few selected candidates. I joined as an Assistant Public Prosecutor in 1999 and served in various courts in Vellore District and Chennai. Within a year, this experience motivated me to take on a larger role in public service, and I cleared the Civil Judge examination conducted by the Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission in September 2000 to join the Tamil Nadu Judicial Service. I was selected in the Open Category, having secured the first rank in the state. During my judicial tenure, I served in various districts of Tamil Nadu and was promoted as District Judge in 2018. I am presently officiating as the Sessions Judge of the Mahila and POCSO Court, Pudukkottai District, which deals with cases relating to women and children, and I have endeavoured to deliver justice with utmost sincerity and sensitivity.
I would like to place on record that after assuming charge, I disposed of many long-pending civil and criminal cases and delivered landmark judgments, including awarding a triple death sentence to the accused involved in a heinous crime against a seven-year-old girl within a short period of three months. Even amidst the challenging circumstances of the COVID pandemic, I continued to pronounce judgments relating to the abuse of children and delivered a hat-trick of death sentences within five months, bringing a measure of solace to young victims of physical abuse and harassment. Alongside my judicial responsibilities, I enrolled in a doctoral programme in law at The Dr. Ambedkar Law University, Chennai, successfully defended my thesis on “Structure and Functioning of Subordinate Judiciary,” and was conferred a Doctorate in Law in the year 2015.
My journey from school to the completion of my doctoral programme has taught me that anything is possible with determination, perseverance, and a genuine interest to excel. My school days at Jawahar Vidyalaya were enriched by a fine balance of academics and extracurricular activities, and the learning methodology imbibed in the school instilled in me a lifelong thirst for knowledge. The academic rigour motivated us to learn continuously, while self-learning methods encouraged exploration and independent thinking. Our teachers taught us the values of self-discipline, humility, and integrity. I remain deeply grateful to my beloved teachers and classmates for the beautiful growing-up years at Jawahar Vidyalaya, a school that was not merely a place of learning but a nurturing environment that allowed every seed to grow into a strong and meaningful tree. Thank you.
Mr. A.S. VENKATESH
Life is not linear, and it often takes us on journeys very different from what we initially expect, but the grounding we receive in childhood, especially during our school years, forms the foundation on which all future success is built. A. S. Venkatesh (ASV) wholeheartedly credits Jawahar Vidyalaya for providing him with a strong framework rooted in positive thinking and an ebullient approach to life, truly reflecting the school’s motto, Be Brilliant. An inquisitive and eager learner, ASV thrived in the enthusiastic teaching culture at JV, absorbing knowledge with curiosity and passion. From Class III to Class XII, he consistently secured the first rank every year without exception, as education at JV was never about rote learning but about thinking, evaluating, and understanding. This approach bore fruit when he qualified for the National Talent Scholarship and won the Maths Olympiad, later continuing his academic excellence with a B.Tech from IIT Madras and an MBA from IIM Ahmedabad. Beyond academics, the school environment felt like a family, with teachers acting as mentors and counsellors, and ASV fondly remembers principals Ms. Susan George Pulimood and Mr. R. Krishnan for their disciplined leadership, along with teachers Ms. Sharadha and Mrs. Uma Prabha Krishnan for instilling enduring values of ethics and integrity. His mathematics teacher Mrs. Pattamal guided him through the beauty of mathematics, nurturing a lifelong love for numbers that continues today, whether in corporate balance sheets or a game of sudoku. The warmth of the school also encouraged active participation in debates, stage plays, interschool sports, and even cooking competitions, helping ASV develop leadership skills and a strong sense of fair play. Serving as School Captain at JV set the stage for leadership roles later at IIT, IIM, and beyond. Today, ASV is the Managing Director of Popular Foundations, executing major civil works across Tamil Nadu and South India for reputed engineering colleges, medical institutions, and hotels, and is widely respected for his efficiency, ethical practices, and calm professionalism. Deeply committed to social causes, he dedicates significant time to serving the underprivileged through Rotary International and served on its Board of Directors from 2021 to 2023, with a special passion for empowering the girl child. ASV firmly believes that true success is a blend of intelligence, character, and compassion, values that Jawahar Vidyalaya has unquestionably nurtured within him.
Dr. GITA Krishnan Ramadurai
Dr. Gita Krishnan Ramadurai is an Associate Professor in the Transportation Engineering Division of the Department of Civil Engineering at IIT Madras and a core faculty member at the Robert Bosch Center for Data Science and AI, IIT Madras. His overarching goal is to develop technological and management solutions for safe and sustainable transportation systems. His primary research interests include network modelling, dynamic traffic simulation and assignment, Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS), vehicular emissions, urban freight, public transit systems, and road safety. He received his Ph.D. in Transportation Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York, in June 2009, his M.S. in Civil Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin in December 2003, and his B.Tech. with honours in Civil Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee, in May 2002. He was awarded First Place in the 2009 Dissertation Prize by the Transportation Science and Logistics Society of the Institute for Operations Research and Management Science (INFORMS), San Diego, USA, and is also a recipient of the New York Metropolitan Transportation Commission’s September 11 Memorial Program Fellowship for 2007–08. He has co-authored over 75 conference and journal publications and has served as a principal or co-investigator on several Government of India funded projects in the areas of ITS and urban transportation. He has advised Chennai Port Trust, Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust, Kolkata Port Trust, and CIDCO, Navi Mumbai, on addressing truck congestion at ports, and has worked with various government organizations including Chennai Corporation, Tamil Nadu Police, TNHSP/EMS, and MTC on ITS implementation, transportation planning and management, and road safety. He also served as a corresponding member of the IRC H-8 Committee on Urban Roads from 2015 to 2017.
Mr. B SARAVANA PRASATH
B. Saravana Prasath, an alumnus of Jawahar Vidyalaya from the Commerce group of the 1994 batch, is a graduate in Commerce and a Fellow Member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India. He secured the Fourth Rank in Madras University in his Graduation Examinations and completed his Chartered Accountancy Articleship training under the tutorship of Shri G. Sekar, FCA, Chennai, during 1995–1998. He achieved outstanding academic success by securing the First Rank in the Chartered Accountancy Final Examinations with an aggregate of 76%, along with the Third Rank in the Intermediate Examinations and the Tenth Rank in the Foundation Examinations, including an exceptional 99% in the CA Final Accounting paper and 96% in the CA Intermediate Auditing paper. He has been practicing as a Chartered Accountant with M/s G. Sekar Associates, Chartered Accountants, Chennai, for over 20 years, specializing in Accounting Standards, Accounting Systems, Cost Accounting, Management Decision Making, Direct and Indirect Taxation, Government Accounting, and Systems Audit. He also serves as a faculty member for CA Inter and CA Final students at Shri Guru Kripa’s Institute of Management, Chennai, the Regional Training Institute of the C&AG, the Income Tax Department, Chennai, and various other management development and professional training institutions. A dedicated career guidance counsellor for 10+2 students, he has regularly addressed career counselling programmes titled “Vazhikaati” organized by Dinamalar Magazine, and his one-to-one mentoring has helped many CA students achieve high scores. With the aim of guiding students in examination preparation and eliminating exam-related fear, he has co-authored the book “Guidance Note for Passing the CA Exams” and has authored or co-authored around 30 books for CA students. His clear communication style, effective subject-approach techniques, and practical examination guidelines have made him highly popular among students.
Dr. HARSHINI MUKUNDAN
Dr. Harshini Mukundan graduated from Jawahar Vidyalaya (CBSE) in 1992 and served as the Captain of Sarojini House, actively participating in academics, cultural activities, and sports, which she fondly remembers as a defining phase of her schooling. She went on to pursue her undergraduate degree in Microbiology (BS Honours) from University of Delhi, followed by a Master’s degree in Microbiology from Bhopal University, with her thesis work carried out at the National Institute of Immunology. She later pursued her PhD in Biomedical Sciences in the United States, after which she worked for two years at a biotechnology start-up before beginning her post-doctoral fellowship in 2006 at the prestigious Los Alamos National Laboratory. She was subsequently converted to a Staff Scientist and has continued her distinguished career there. Her research focuses on developing agnostic diagnostics for emerging infectious diseases, and she currently serves as the Team Leader for the Chemistry for Biomedical Applications team and as the Acting Group Leader for the Physician Chemistry and Applied Spectroscopy Group at LANL. A committed mentor to students and post-doctoral fellows, she has been recognized multiple times for excellence in mentorship. Her research has resulted in numerous patents and over 70 peer-reviewed publications, and she is a recipient of the prestigious R&D 100 Award for diagnostic methods, recognizing her work among the top 100 technologies of the year. Her other accolades include the Los Alamos Fellows Prize in Research, the New Mexico Technology Council’s Women in Technology Award, and recognition among 500 Women Scientists and Los Alamos Innovators. She was named an IF/THEN Ambassador in 2019 by the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and in 2021 she was one of 125 scientists honored through an exhibition of 3D statues celebrating women innovators in science.
Mr. VAIKUNTH KASTURIRANGAN
Vaikunth Kasturirangan, an alumnus of the 1996 batch of Jawahar Vidyalaya, is a well-known figure in the field of child rights and child safety in India. Since 2010, he has been actively working to bring about significant changes in policies and safety measures relating to children across the country. He was one of the petitioners and played an instrumental role in the enactment of the law introducing the death penalty for child rapists in India. He has also been shortlisted for the post of Honorable Chairperson of the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) under the Ministry of Women and Child Development, Government of India. A popular speaker, he regularly addresses schools, colleges, and corporate institutions, presiding over numerous functions and conducting impactful sessions for children and parents on child safety and grooming. His most quoted statement, “The values that we leave for our children are more important than the valuables we leave them with,” strongly reflects his philosophy. In addition, he is an expert in Varmakalai, one of the oldest forms of medicine and martial arts, believed to be over 50,000 years old, and has trained more than 2,000 girl children in self-defense techniques to help them remain confident and protected. Along with his team at Green Cross Health Organization, he has been instrumental in rescuing several children from distress and kidnapping situations. He also manages Balalayam Music & Arts Academy, the world’s first and only online competitive platform capable of conducting global competitions for children in collaboration with schools and institutions, offering opportunities in singing, music, dance, instrumental performance, percussion, and many other art forms, firmly believing that every child deserves a chance to perform.
Mr. C. RAMANA KISHORE
Mr. C. Ramana Kishore is one of the foremost and pioneering technicians in the South Indian television industry as it is known today, having begun his journey with the iconic Sun Television Network in 1994 as an editor under the guidance of Mr. Kannan, when the network itself was in its formative years. Since then, both Mr. Ramana Kishore and the channels he has been associated with have grown remarkably, with his contributions playing a crucial role in shaping live-format entertainment and infotainment broadcasting in India. He frequently travelled between the Philippines, Singapore, and India to bridge post-production workflows between head stations and regional stations, enabling large-scale broadcast formats. He has served as editor for several iconic Tamil television programs such as Neengal Ketta Padal, Pepsi Ungal Choice, Super 10, Sapthaswarangal, and the legendary Manaada Mayilaada, among many others, and later went on to become Chief Editor at Kalaignar TV, managing a large post-production department. Over the years, he has built and led extensive post-production teams that evolved in parallel with the expanding broadcast reach of both Sun Network and Kalaignar Network, earning numerous accolades for his work, including recognition from the Guinness Book of World Records for his contribution to a landmark production associated with Maanaada Mayilaada. Today, Mr. Kishore continues to lead his ever-evolving team in consistently delivering iconic television content, while also dedicating time to staying abreast of contemporary projects and cutting-edge technologies shaping the broadcast industry.
Prof. KK ANAND
Prof. KK Anand was a student of Jawahar Vidyalaya from 1985 to 1992 (Standards VI to XII), where he excelled academically, served as Captain of the School Cricket Team, and was an accomplished violinist in the School Orchestra. He later emerged as a topper from BITS Pilani with a dual degree in BE (Hons) Chemical Engineering and BE (Hons) Computer Science, and also topped his MS in Chemical Engineering in the USA. Turning away from lucrative opportunities in India and abroad, he dedicated himself to education by instituting SMART (Science and Mathematics Academy for the Real Talents) in 2004, a premier coaching institute in Chennai for Engineering and Medical Entrance Examinations and Olympiads, which has consistently delivered outstanding results. In the field of IIT-JEE training, Prof. KK Anand is widely regarded by students as a Guru par Excellence, being the only educator in India to teach all three core subjects—Mathematics, Physics, and Chemistry—for IIT-JEE Advanced with exceptional success. His video lectures for JEE Main and Advanced, NEET, and Mathematics Olympiads such as AMTI-NMTC, Pre-RMO, and INMO are highly popular for their depth, conceptual clarity, insightful explanations, and advanced problem-solving strategies. Recognizing his exemplary contribution to IIT-JEE education, the Central Board of Secondary Education appointed him as National Chief Mentor for its prestigious UDAAN programme in 2014 and distributed his video lectures to 1,000 meritorious and economically weaker girl students across India. In 2016, the The Times of India honoured him with the Edulcons Award for Pioneers of Education in Tamil Nadu, acknowledging his impactful commitment to education. To further revolutionize schooling, Prof. KK Anand instituted Smart Minds Academy as a full-fledged daytime alternate school for Standards I to XII, focused on holistic academic excellence, equipping students with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to excel in Olympiads as well as engineering and medical entrance examinations and to face future challenges with assurance.
Mr. Mohan Raja
Film Director Mohan Raja studied at Jawahar Vidyalaya from kindergarten to his 10th standard during the years 1977 to 1989, and he considers his schooling to have played a major role in shaping his positive outlook on life. He often says that the friendships he formed during his school years remain his greatest moral strength even today, and he takes special pride in his friendship with Mr. B. S. Mubarak, Ambassador of India to Guatemala. Being the son of veteran film editor and producer Mr. Mohan, Mohan Raja developed a deep interest in cinema at a very young age and began participating in the creative aspects of his father’s films by the age of 15. After completing his schooling, he pursued a BA in Corporate Secretaryship at New College, Chennai (1991–1994), followed by a Diploma in Direction and Screenplay Writing from the M.G.R. Film Institute, Tharamani, Chennai (1996–1999). He worked extensively on his father’s films before making his directorial debut with the Telugu film Hanuman Junction in 2001, which became a major commercial success, running for over 175 days in Andhra Pradesh and earning acclaim for its effective handling of comedy and family drama. He made his Tamil directorial debut with Jayam in 2003, which also introduced his brother Ravi, later popularly known as Jayam Ravi, and the film emerged as a sensational hit. Building on this success, he delivered a series of consecutive blockbusters including M. Kumaran S/O Mahalakshmi (2004), Unakkum Enakkum (2006), Santhosh Subramaniam (2008), and Thillalangadi (2010), winning the Tamil Nadu Government State Award for Best Film for M. Kumaran S/O Mahalakshmi in 2004. He further directed the prestigious project Velayudham (2011) starring Vijay, which also achieved significant commercial success. A major milestone in his career came in 2015 with the release of Thani Oruvan, starring Jayam Ravi, Nayanthara, and Arvind Swamy, which is regarded as one of the rare Tamil films to achieve exceptional critical and commercial success simultaneously, winning numerous awards including Filmfare and IIFA Best Director awards. The film continues to feature among the top 20 Indian films on IMDb with a rating of around 8.5/10 and is widely appreciated for its thought-provoking narrative centered on an IPS officer unraveling organized crime. It was later remade in Telugu as Dhruva starring Ram Charan and in Bengali as One. Following this, Mohan Raja directed Velaikkaran starring Sivakarthikeyan, a film that addressed the issue of food adulteration and created awareness about junk food addiction among children. Known for using cinema not merely as entertainment but as a medium to address social and political issues, Mohan Raja has consistently made films that leave a strong impact on audiences, and he is currently directing a big-budget Telugu film starring Megastar Chiranjeevi.
Mr. RAVI MOHAN
Jayam Ravi completed his entire schooling at Jawahar Vidyalaya from 1983 to 1997, where the recognition he received for winning various dance competitions encouraged him to focus deeply on the arts and dance, a foundation that later enriched his acting career. He trained in Bharatanatyam under Shrimati Kalaimamani Nalini Balakrishnan and performed his Arangetram at Jawahar Vidyalaya’s auditorium, Stree Seva Mandhir, at the age of 12. After completing his degree in Visual Communication from Loyola College Chennai, he decided to enter the film industry and further honed his acting skills at the Kishore Namit Kapur Institute in Mumbai. Before making his acting debut, he worked as an assistant director to Suresh Krishna for the film Aalavandhan (2001), starring Kamal Haasan.
The son of veteran film editor Mohan, Jayam Ravi made his debut as an actor in the romantic drama Jayam (2003), directed by his elder brother Mohan Raja, and the film’s success led to “Jayam” becoming a prefix to his stage name. He went on to collaborate frequently with his brother in successful films such as M. Kumaran S/O Mahalakshmi (2004), Unakkum Enakkum (2006), Santhosh Subramaniam (2008), Thillalangadi (2010), and Thani Oruvan (2015). Over the course of his career, Jayam Ravi has won one Filmfare Award and three SIIMA Awards, along with several other prestigious honours, including the Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Actor for M. Kumaran Son of Mahalakshmi (2004), the Kalaimamani Award (2006), multiple Best Actor awards across SIIMA, Filmfare Critics, Vikatan, Edison, and IIFA Utsavam for Thani Oruvan (2015), recognition as the Most Romantic Star of South Indian Cinema by SIIMA for Romeo Juliet (2015), and the SIIMA Critics Choice Award for Best Actor for Adanga Maru (2018).
Ms. Shreya Gupta
Shreya has always been highly expressive and dramatic since her school days, with a strong inclination towards acting from a very early age. She actively participated in almost all co-curricular activities during her school and college years, as these interested her more than routine academics. She pursued her schooling at Jawahar Vidyalaya, Ashok Nagar, Chennai, where she served as an NCC Sergeant and won numerous awards for her involvement in school and inter-school activities and competitions. She worked on her first film while studying in Class 8, contributing to the movie Vaaranam Aayiram alongside Suriya under the direction of Gautham Vasudev Menon, and also worked as a child artist in several feature films during her school summer vacations. After scoring 92% in her Class 12 board examinations, she pursued her undergraduate studies at MOP Vaishnav College, where she won the Clean & Clear Fresh Face title sponsored by the Times Network. She later completed her post-graduation with an MS in Media Communication from Christ University, after which she decided to dedicate herself fully to her passion for acting. Shreya relocated to Mumbai and began her career from scratch, attending numerous auditions daily, initially intending to give the profession a try but eventually establishing herself over the last five years as a known face in the OTT industry. She has appeared in several television commercials, and her YouTube collaborations with platforms such as All India Bakchod and RVCJ are extremely popular among the youth. In 2020, she received the Emerging Face of the Digital Industry Award along with the Intercontinental Quality Award for her contributions to the digital space. During her TEDx NIT Raipur speech, she shared that she is currently the sole earning member of her family and expressed pride in building her own identity through hard work in the city of dreams, Mumbai. She was last seen sharing screen space with Rajinikanth in the feature film Darbar, and though Bengali by origin, she is extremely fluent in Tamil and looks forward to expanding her opportunities across the country.
Mrs. SWETHA SURESH
She developed a deep interest in music and dance at a very young age and began learning Carnatic music and classical dance at the age of five under the guidance of gurus at the Temple of Fine Arts International, Chennai. Her very first light music stage performance as a singer and Bharatanatyam dancer was at the age of nine with the Isai Mottukal Children’s Orchestra. Alongside her singing journey, she discovered the art of whistling and pursued it with complete passion by joining the Indian Whistlers Association, winning several accolades. She later became part of the renowned Shankar’s Saadhaga Paravaigal orchestra and has since performed over 2,500 whistling and singing shows across Tamil Nadu and internationally, including Colombo, London, Paris, Muscat, Salalah, and Oman.
She had the honour of performing at Raj Bhavan before the former Governor of Tamil Nadu, His Excellency Surjit Singh Barnala, and also performed at a felicitation event for the Chennai Super Kings. She has appeared on several popular television and radio programmes and has been featured in leading magazines, articles, and newspaper interviews. Her dream is to present Carnatic and Western music concerts through whistling and to establish whistling as a recognised performing art on par with singing and dancing.
Her professional qualifications include serving as Music Coordinator for Sa Re Ga Ma Pa 2019 on Zee Tamil, completing Theory and Vocals certifications from Trinity College London with distinction, and working as Assistant Editor for the Tamil film Valeba Raja under editor Mr. Sathyaraj Natarajan. She holds a Diploma in Film Technology (Editing and Sound Design) from L V Prasad Film and TV Academy, Chennai, where she won the Gold Medal for Sound Design and Silver Medal for Editing, and a Bachelor of Science in Visual Communication from SSS Jain College for Women, securing University 9th Rank. She completed her primary, secondary, and higher secondary education at Jawahar Vidyalaya, Chennai.
She is a two-time World Whistling Champion, having won the World Whistling Competition held in Japan in 2016 and 2018. In 2016, she secured first place in all categories she participated in, becoming the first Indian woman to win first prize in the history of the competition. Her performances included Western Classical Opera Queen of the Night, the Tamil classic Paatum Naane from Thiruvilayaadal, and a unique combination of whistling with Bharatanatyam for Minsara Poove from Padayappa. In 2018, she returned to the competition and won three awards.
She is also a multiple Book of Records holder, having whistled continuously for 18 hours covering 197 songs to enter the Asia Book of Records, India Book of Records, and Tamil Nadu Book of Records on October 5, 2014. She is a Limca Book of Records holder for whistling Sare Jahan Se Acha in unison with 48 whistlers and was part of a 150-member whistling ensemble that entered the Asia and India Book of Records at Kochi in 2018.
Her entry into cinema came through music director D Imman, who introduced her as a whistler to the Tamil film industry. Her notable works with him include Varuthapadatha Valibar Sangam, Jilla, Kayal, Pokkiri Raja, Wagah, Bogan, Tik Tik Tik, Seemaraja, Viswasam, Teddy, and Laabam. Her whistling contributions to other films include Nibunan, Hara Hara Mahadevaki, En Aaloda Seruppa Kanom, Iru Mugan, Thuppaki Munai, and the Malayalam film June, further establishing her as a pioneering artist in cinematic whistling.
Mr. ASHWATH NAGANATHAN
Ashwath N, a Music Director and an alumnus of Jawahar Vidyalaya Senior Secondary School (2003 batch), completed his Integrated Master’s degree in Media Science from the College of Engineering Guindy in 2008. He began his professional journey with the NDTV Group, working as a News Producer and Director for four years before transitioning into the film industry. Over the years, he has composed music for more than 75 short films, including a few international projects, and nearly 100 advertisements, apart from scoring music for web series, plays, and television shows. His career as a Music Director in the Tamil film industry commenced with the feature film Nalanum Nandhiniyum, released in 2014, which featured songs rendered by leading vocalists from across India and received consistent critical appreciation for its music in major newspapers, websites, and magazines. Subsequently, he composed music for a few more Tamil feature films and is currently working on a bilingual project titled FIR, starring Vishnu Vishal and Gautham Menon. In addition to his creative work, Ashwath N is a UGC-NET qualified lecturer in Mass Communication and Journalism and serves as a guest lecturer at several colleges, where he shares his practical insights into the media and film industry with students.
Mrs. Indumathy Ganesh
Indumathy Ganesh, Artistic Director of Nrithyollasa Dance Academy, was inspired by dance from a very young age, and her years at Jawahar Vidyalaya are fondly remembered for her many dance performances at school events. Along with several memorable Bharatanatyam recitals, she was also known among her friends and teachers as a young ballerina admired for her graceful pirouettes, and many still vividly recall her mesmerizing snake dance during her teenage years. It therefore came as no surprise when Indumathy chose to pursue her passion and dedicate her life to the classical art form of Bharatanatyam.
After years of rigorous training in both the theoretical and applied aspects of Bharatanatyam, including Nattuvangam (dance conducting), her performance career expanded across multiple continents and historic venues. Regarded as one of the premier exponents of Bharatanatyam, Indumathy has earned acclaim from dance critics and connoisseurs, as well as deep respect from her peers, for her command over this ancient art form. Her performances seamlessly weave bhava, raga, and tala, captivating audiences with expressive storytelling, rhythmic precision, and emotional depth.
Over the past three decades, she has received worldwide recognition for numerous solo and group thematic productions, including Glory of Rama, Bhakthi Shakthi: The Strength of Devotion, Arpana, The Splendor of Dance, Swapna – Dream, Nrithyamala, Antaryami, and Krishna Anubhavam. She has also performed as a soloist at prestigious platforms such as the San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival and the Asian Pacific Performing Arts Festival.
Indumathy has collaborated with several luminaries to choreograph and present acclaimed productions in the United States, including In Praise of Giving, The Hero’s Journey, Navagraha, Stree Mahima, Abhaya Hasta, Shringara, Maitreem Bhajata, and TriDevi Natyotsava. Many of these works creatively blend classical Bharatanatyam with other dance forms to narrate contemporary stories, thereby expanding the traditional boundaries of this classical discipline. In recognition of her dedication and artistic excellence, she has been conferred the titles Natya Mayuri and Lalitha Kala Rathna.
Driven by a commitment to teaching and nurturing future generations, Indumathy founded Nrithyollasa Dance Academy in 1989 in California, USA. The academy has since trained and graduated hundreds of students, many of whom have gone on to become performers, choreographers, and teachers in their own right. Students of the academy have won several international classical dance awards and have performed across the United States, Europe, and South Asia. In recent years, her daughter Akshaya Ganesh, a principal dancer of the academy, along with senior students, has been inspired and guided by Indumathy to explore new avenues for taking Bharatanatyam beyond the Indian diaspora.
Over the last decade, Indumathy has been widely appreciated for using dance as a powerful medium for social awareness and humanitarian causes. Along with her students, she has organized and performed in fundraisers supporting Bay Area Hindu temples, Global Organization of Divinity, orphanages in India, AASRA, Adyar Cancer Institute, Sewa International, World Wildlife Fund, and Literacy for Environmental Justice, among others.
From her early days as a passionate student of dance to her present stature as a respected master and mentor, Indumathy Ganesh continues to champion Bharatanatyam as a vehicle for cultural continuity, inspiration, and meaningful social change.
Dr R. VIJAY MADHAVAN
Dr. R. Vijay Madhavan is an accomplished Bharatanatyam dancer, noted soloist, brilliant choreographer, and an inspiring tutor whose widely acclaimed performances stand as a testament to his fertile imagination and creative depth. He has several thematic solo and group productions to his credit and has been an active participant in the annual ritualistic tradition of Bhagavata Mela at Melattur for over three decades. His rendition in the song “Senthamizh Nadu”, the curtain-raiser of Jaya TV since 1999, continues to remain a connoisseur’s delight. Firmly believing that “Art has to reach the common man,” Dr. Vijay Madhavan has developed a unique pedagogy that enables differently abled children to access and learn this classical art form. In recognition of his contribution, the Government of India conferred upon him the prestigious Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar instituted by the Sangeet Natak Akademi, New Delhi. He is also the recipient of several eminent honours including Narthaka Nipuna from ABHAI, Yuva Kala Bharathi from Bharat Kalachar, and Nrutya Kala Bharathi from Samskara Bharathi. His album “Bharathiyil Sanmatham” has received widespread appreciation within the dance fraternity.
An A-graded artist with Doordarshan and an empanelled artist with Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), he has been awarded the National Scholarship for Dance and the Junior Research Fellowship by the Department of Culture, Government of India. He has also received production grants from the Tamil Nadu Eyal Isai Nataka Manram and the Ministry of Culture, and is currently pursuing the Tagore Scholarship programme. Dr. Vijay Madhavan earned his doctoral degree from the Sri Chandrasekhara Viswa Maha Vidyalaya and serves as a visiting faculty for Dance at the University of Madras, in addition to authoring several academically acclaimed research papers.
He founded Rechita Nrutyalaya in 1996 at West Mambalam, where he has been training students from India and abroad in Bharatanatyam and Nattuvangam. Dr. Vijay Madhavan is also the creator of the unique Natyagraphy technique, an innovative system designed to document Bharatanatyam in written form. This pioneering method has gained global attention among dance aspirants, leading to numerous workshops and training programmes, with the vision of preserving the creations of veterans and making them accessible to future generations. Natyagraphy aims to unify multiple bani under a single comprehensive framework and aspires to become a universally accepted language for Bharatanatyam in the years to come.
Mrs. C. S. SEETHALKSHMI
A Chartered Accountant by qualification and a consultant by profession, Seetha is a dancer by passion. She is the senior-most student of Guru Padmasri Dr. Shobana of Kalarpana and performed her Arangetram in 1997. A regular solo performer at several prestigious sabhas in Chennai, Seetha has, along with her students, performed at renowned festivals such as the Natyanjali Festival, Chidambaram (March 2019), Mamallapuram Festival (January 2015 and January 2018), Mahabalipuram, Marudha Natyanjali (March 2021), and Thiruvarur Natyanjali (February 2020). She has also presented solo performances on leading regional television channels including Sun TV, Jaya TV, Raj TV, Sun Life TV, and Makkal TV.
Seetha has received numerous awards for her performances, including the Best Dancer Award from Shri Parthasarathy Swamy Sabha (2017), Padmavati Rashtriya Puraskar from Shri Jayadev Rashtriya Samaroh, Bhubaneswar, Kala Pravah at the Kalajyothi Festival, Kolkata, Golden Artist at Guru Sishya Utsav 2018, Bharat Gaurav Samman 2019 at the International Dance Festival, Nepal, Nitya Kalakar from ISFA, and Bharata Vallunar 2019 from Tao Payoh West CC, Singapore. As a senior performer in her Guru’s troupe since 1996, she has travelled extensively across India and abroad, including performances in the USA, Canada, the UK, Europe, Malaysia, Singapore, the Middle East, and the Far East.
She has had the privilege of performing alongside her Guru with several stalwarts of Indian classical and contemporary music such as Vikku Vinayakram, Selva Ganesh, the late Mandolin U Srinivas, Ganesh Kumaresh, Valayapatti Subramaniam, Zakir Hussain, Aman Ayan, Bikram Ghosh, Sivamani, Vijay Ghate, and Anil Srinivasan. She played the protagonist in her Guru’s productions Maya Ravan and Krishna, the Musical, and portrayed Lord Krishna in Gita Govindam. She founded her own dance school, Sushobanam Academy of Classical Arts, in 1997 and continues to travel across the country performing with her students. Seetha has also undergone intensive training in Nattuvangam under her Guru’s guidance and has accompanied her in this discipline.
Currently, she is pursuing advanced-level training in Natyashastra and Karanas under Dr. Sujatha Mohan, a senior student of Padma Subrahmanyan. Among her notable thematic productions are Bhooloka Vaikuntam – Aranganin Srirangam, which received the Award of Appreciation from Shri Parthasarathy Swamy Sabha in 2019, Shanmuga – Thirupugazhin Nayaka focusing on the Thirupugazh of Arunagirinathar and premiered in December 2019, and Shiva Loka Darishanam, launched in January 2021. Seetha has also been recognised by the D. Rangaswamy Academy as Nightingale 2.0, an honour bestowed upon Chartered Accountants who have excelled in other fields, with her achievements published in their book of the same title.
Mrs. S. ANUROOPITHA
Anuroopitha completed her schooling from Standards I to X at Jawahar Vidyalaya Higher Secondary School, Chennai, and passed out in 2004. She is a practicing Chartered Accountant and the Proprietor of Anuroopitha and Company, Chartered Accountants, and is also a qualified Cost and Management Accountant from the Institute of Cost Accountants of India (ICWAI), in addition to holding a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting and Finance from M.O.P. Vaishnav College, Chennai. Trained in Bharatanatyam for over 20 years under Guru Padmashri Dr. Shobana, she was conferred the title “Natya Chudar” by Karthik Fine Arts in 2012 and was a recipient of the Government of India’s Cultural Talent Search Scholarship for seven consecutive years from 2003 to 2009. Based on merit and scholarship from Kalarpana, she performed with her Guru during the 2009 season at Bharat Kalachar as a duet performer and has travelled extensively across the globe accompanying her Guru, portraying pivotal roles such as Seetha in Maya Ravan, Krishna and Radha in The Musical – Krishna, and Little Krishna in Nowkacharithram. She has presented solo performances at several prestigious Chennai sabhas during the December Margazhi season, including the Spirit of Youth Festival at the Music Academy Chennai (2006), the 51st Art and Dance Festival at Krishna Gana Sabha (2007), VDS Arts Academy (2003 and 2005), Natyaarangam at Narada Gana Sabha (2004), Karthik Fine Arts at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan (2012), and Mylapore Fine Arts Club (2014). She was the winner of the dance show “Thaka Dhimi Tha” telecast on Jaya TV in 2000 and also won the 5th Jhaveri Sanskriti Sur Taal inter-collegiate competition in 2007 representing M.O.P. Vaishnav College. She has further performed with her Guru at major platforms such as the Soorya Festivals, programmes organised by the The Times of India, Bengaluru Habba at Chowdiah Memorial Hall, Chembur Fine Arts Society in Mumbai staging Gita Govindam, the Natya Darshan lecdem series (2009), Samadhina (2015), temple festivals in Kolkata, the 100 Years of Indian Cinema celebrations, Kamal Haasan’s 50 years in cinema on Vijay TV, the ANR Awards (2015), and the Chennai International Film Festival (2013), among many others.
Mr. S.P. RAMH
S. P. Ramh passed out from Jawahar Vidyalaya, Chennai, in 1987 and hails from a distinguished family of musicians. His father, Shri R. Shankaran, is a veena artist and teacher, while his maternal grandfather, KalaiMamani and Sangeetha Bhushanam Shri G. N. Dhandapani, was a renowned veena artist and teacher who served as a staff artist with All India Radio for over three decades. Inspired by music from a very young age, Ramh began learning the veena under the guidance of his grandfather and later took to vocal music at the suggestion of his father. His initial training in vocal music was under Shri Narayanan and Shri Sethalapathy Balasubramaniam, followed by advanced guidance from Shri S. Rajam and Dr. S. Ramanathan. The year 1988 marked a significant turning point in his musical journey when he came under the tutelage of Padma Bhushan Lalgudi G Jayaraman, a violinist and composer of international repute, whose mentorship played a defining role in shaping his career.
Ramh has since been a regular performer across prestigious music platforms throughout India, earning admiration from audiences and connoisseurs alike for his soulful and technically refined performances. In recognition of his talent, he was conferred the prestigious title Yuva Kala Bharathi in 1996 by Bharat Kalachar, Chennai, and he is also an A-grade artist with All India Radio in both Vocal and Veena music. Alongside vocal performances, Ramh continues to receive advanced training in veena from his Guru Shri Lalgudi G. Jayaraman and has presented several veena duet concerts with his younger sister, Shrimathi Pavithra Mahesh, who also had the privilege of learning under the same Guru.
His international exposure began with an extensive tour of the United States of America and Canada in 1994, where he performed in several cities across North America and served as the lead singer for the operatic ballet Jaya Jaya Devi, composed by Shri Lalgudi G. Jayaraman. He was invited again for vocal concerts in the United States and Canada in 1998, and his performances in London during 1998, 1999, and 2003 were particularly well received. A special ballet titled Pancha Lingeswaram, narrating the Siva temples of Sri Lanka, was staged in London with Ramh as the lead singer, once again set to music by Shri Lalgudi G. Jayaraman. Over the years, he has also performed in Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Germany, and Singapore.
Ramh’s excellence has been consistently recognised by Music Academy Chennai, which awarded him Certificates of Merit for Raaga Elaboration in his first year, Kalpana Swaras in the subsequent year, and later honoured him as the Best Concert Singer in the chosen category. His music has been recorded and released by several leading audio recording institutions, including HMV, Sangeetha, Inreco, AVM Audio, Vani, Dream Audio, and Kalavardhini, firmly establishing his contribution to the world of Carnatic music.
KALAIMAMANI EMBAR S. KANNAN
Kalaimamani Embar S. Kannan, an alumnus of Jawahar Vidyalaya (1990 batch), was born to Sangeetha Bhooshanam Sri Embar Sadagopan and Smt. Padmasani Sadagopan. His initial musical training was under Sri Subbanna Bhagavatar, followed by Sri Vittal Ramamurthy, and later advanced tutelage from Padmashree Kumari A Kanyakumari. He has performed innumerable concerts alongside his Guru and continues to be a sought-after accompanist for leading vidwans and vidushis.
A recipient of several prestigious honours, he was awarded the Kalaimamani Award by the Government of Tamil Nadu in 2009, the Shanmukhanandha Sangeetha Shiromani by Shanmukhananda Sangeetha Sabha in 2009, and the Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar instituted by the Sangeet Natak Akademi in 2010, among others. The Music Academy Chennai has conferred on him the Best Violinist Award on 16 occasions. He is an A-Top graded artist with All India Radio.
In addition to his deep grounding in Carnatic music, Embar S. Kannan is adept in Western music and founded the fusion ensemble Cross Roads. He is also active in the film music space and has been part of Maestro Ilaiyaraaja’s orchestra, further underscoring his versatility and enduring contribution to Indian music.
Mrs. VANIPRIYA JAYARAMAN
Vanipriya Jayaraman, an alumna of Jawahar Vidyalaya (2002 batch), is one of the most sought-after leaders in the Technology Product Management space in India. A successful entrepreneur with multiple ventures to her credit, she is currently leading a business entity at Exotel as Director – Co-Creation. Prior to this, she set up and ran FPS Innovation Solutions in India as its Country Head. A passionate entrepreneur, she has founded several start-ups including Prayojana, The Code Place, and Zeekh.
After completing school, Vanipriya pursued her undergraduate degree in Mathematics at M.O.P. Vaishnav College. Driven by her interest in music and media, she also completed a double degree in Visual Communication from Annamalai University, followed by a certificate course from the University of Madras. As she often reflects, “If I weren’t delivering technology products, I would have been pursuing a career in music performing in some form or fashion.” Destiny led her to Sri Venkateswara College of Engineering, where she completed her Master’s in Computer Applications. During this time, she launched her boutique website development brand Ideas UnLtd and also founded Maarga, a music education initiative that continues to thrive as a premium Carnatic music organization in Chennai.
Despite receiving offers from several top-tier organizations, Vanipriya chose to begin her professional journey with the start-up Laser Words, where the learning proved invaluable. This experience led her to found Prayojana, a product start-up where she spearheaded the development of multiple technology products. During this phase, she was selected as a Goldman Sachs Women Entrepreneur, earning the distinction of being among the top women entrepreneurs in the country and receiving advanced business education at the prestigious Indian School of Business.
She later went on to run The Code Place, a niche technology services company that delivered and architected large-scale projects in Indian media, including popular reality game shows such as Connexions (telecast on Vijay TV, Maa TV, and Suvarna TV) and Divided (Vijay TV). Subsequently, she founded Zeekh, a lifestyle-based event management app that was widely recognised by publications as one of the top apps to follow during Chennai’s music season.
Beyond her professional commitments, Vanipriya is an active writer and speaker, frequently addressing forums on entrepreneurship, women empowerment, women in product and technology, product management, technology trends, inclusion, and diversity. She continues to pursue music seriously and performs Carnatic music on the electric guitar. She has also composed music for a documentary and has performed multiple times on national television. Her achievements have been recognised through several honours, including Alumni Achiever awards from both M.O.P. Vaishnav College and Sri Venkateswara College of Engineering, the Yuva Sakthi Young Achiever Award, and her recent induction into the Board of Studies at M.O.P. Vaishnav College.
Reflecting on her roots, Vanipriya says, “JV was the only school I went to – from LKG to 12th. It was the only place I knew outside home during my childhood, and it has had an immense impact on me till date. From the breadth of extracurricular activities to the curriculum, it offered well-rounded learning and encouraged every form of talent. Long before it became common practice, JV ensured students were not confined to academics alone. I wish every student at JV an amazing journey ahead.”
Mr. G. AKASH
International Achievements in Chess – G. Akash
G. Akash, an alumnus of Jawahar Vidyalaya School, Chennai, who passed out in 2011, is one of India’s finest chess players and the 66th Chess Grandmaster of India, having been awarded the Grandmaster title by FIDE in 2020. He won the Prague International Chess Open 2020 and qualified for the Prague International Chess Challengers 2021 held in Prague, Czech Republic, and also emerged as the winner of the Brønshøj Chess Open 2020 in Copenhagen, Denmark, finishing 1.5 points ahead of his competitors. In 2020, he secured a Silver Medal at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Online Team Championship, representing India on Board 2. His international victories include winning the Feffernitz International Chess Championship 2019 in Austria and the Balaton Grandmaster Chess Tournament 2019 at Lake Balaton, Hungary, where he finished 2.5 points ahead of the field. His early achievements include a Gold Medal at the Commonwealth Junior Championship 2013 in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, a Silver Medal at the Commonwealth Under-18 Championship 2012 in Chennai, and a Bronze Medal at the Commonwealth Junior Championship 2015 in Delhi. He earned the International Master title from FIDE in 2012, was the Best Performing Indian at the World Junior Championship 2015, tying for fifth place in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia, and won the 4th Modern International FIDE Rating Chess Tournament 2011 in Chennai, after finishing runner-up in the 3rd edition in 2010.
Among his career highlights, Akash became the National Chess Champion in 2012, setting a national record as the youngest National Champion, surpassing the previous record held by Viswanathan Anand. He has represented India at the World Cup, where he famously drew his first game against World Championship Challenger Fabiano Caruana, and has also represented the country in the Asian Championship. He has played competitive chess in over 15 countries, won the Silver Medal at the National Chess Championship 2019 held in Sikkim, and was felicitated by N Mahalingam, former President of AICF and TNSCA and Founder and Chairman of the Sakthi Group. In recognition of his sporting excellence, he was also honoured as the Best Sportsperson of Jawahar Vidyalaya Higher Secondary School, bringing immense pride to his alma mater.
Mrs. SUMITHRA PRAKASH
I am Sumithra Prakash, an alumna of Jawahar Vidyalaya from the 1987 batch. After completing my schooling, I pursued my college education at Meenakshi College and completed my PGDCM at A.M. Jain College. I got married in 1996 and began my professional journey at Chennai Port Trust Hospital, where I worked from 1997 to 2012. In November 2012, I opted for a special Voluntary Retirement Scheme due to personal circumstances.
I am a cancer survivor, and my inner strength, determination, and above all, the love for my son helped me overcome this difficult phase of life. Since then, I have been actively counselling patients, creating awareness, and instilling positivity in them to face life with courage and confidence. Alongside this, I support my husband in our family business, which runs a men’s garments shop.
I joined Facebook in November 2012, and cooking has always been my true passion. I run a food blog, sumithraskitchen.wordpress.com, where I share traditional recipes passed down through generations along with my own innovative creations. I am also an admin of the Facebook group “World of Women”, a close-knit community of nearly 1,500 members where we share everyday cooking ideas, special dishes, discuss health-related topics, and exchange thoughts on general life matters.
I remain ever grateful to my teachers at Jawahar Vidyalaya for nurturing our strengths and bringing out the best in us, shaping not just our education but our outlook towards life.