Our Proud Alumni of CBSE School in Ashok Nagar
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.
T.R. JAWAHAR Group Editor, Chairman and Managing Director, News Today, Maalaisudar and Talk Media.
Jawahar Vidyalaya, a Best CBSE school in Ashok Nagar, was started in the year 1967 in Ashok Nagar as a unit of Stree Seva Mandir. T. R. Jawahar, was virtually the first student of the school at the age of three when he joined LKG. He finished schooling in 1981 after a 14-year stint. He topped in commerce group in 12th standard CBSE.
“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 most of the Jawahar Vidyalaya students used to spend much time in his house. His home was almost like a second Jawahar Vidyalaya. Also, his parents Mr. T R Ramaswamy, a doyen of journalism in India and his mother Mrs. Indira Ramaswamy and their four children were all like family to Jawahar Vidyalaya. Jawahar’s sister Jayashree was also a student of JV.
Mrs. A C Krishna Rao, the founder of Stree Seva Mandir group of institutions, was very closely associated with Jawahar’s family all through her life.
After school, Jawahar went to Loyola College for B.Com. It was an autonomous college. While in Loyola itself, Jawahar finished CA entrance examination, but decided to continue in the college. However, while in Loyola, he did ICWA intermediate. By the time he had come out of college, he had finished his ICWA intermediate also.
Soon after college he joined RK Kumar & Company as a CA intern for the next three years. While in RK Kumar & Company, he completed ICWA final. In CA intermediate which he wrote early because of his entrance exam credentials, he came out as a rank holder. And then, he wrote his CA final within a year and cleared CA final also as a rank holder. He completed CA six months ahead of his articleship by age 21-22. He started practice along with his relative K S Muralidharan under the banner of M/S Murali Jawahar & Company.
In the meantime, it was his father’s profession of journalism that attracted him more than his chosen profession of chartered accountancy. So, to help his father, he entered into News Today.
After the passing away of his father TRR in the late 80s, Jawahar took over the helm of News Today. He further perpetuated the journalistic memory of his father by founding the popular Tamil eveninger Maalai Sudar.
Apart from this, the biggest and the most path-breaking journalistic venture from Jawahar is Talk Media, the publication stable with a slew of neighbourhood weeklies covering the length and breadth of Chennai. His Point-Blank column is hugely popular for its forthright views conveyed in cheeky and witty manner. His love for his school can be understood from the fact that he used to cover all its functions and events in his publications.
Jawahar was married to Kausalya in 1990. Their daughter Bhargavi also did her plus2 in JV. Jawahar and his family continued their relationship with Stree Seva Mandir and he and his wife were always special invitees by Mrs. Krishna Rao for all the functions. Her passing was a matter of domestic grief in Jawahar’s family.
Says Jawahar: ‘I am ever grateful to my mentors 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 several others during my long stint at JV from its very inception’.
Jawahar continues to be in close touch with scores of his friends and teachers. He always tells everyone that his years in JV will ever be the most most memorable part of his life. He has said as much in an article he wrote under the title ‘JV days’ for the school souvenir several years back.
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 onto 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 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 round development. The school is not only the place for academic
study and excellence, but also 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 was a student of Jawahar Vidyalaya from the year 1989 to
1994 (VI – X Std). He stood first in the Class X CBSE exam in the year 1994.
He has very pleasant memories of JV & feels very grateful for the role that JV played
in honing his skills & the development of his personality.
He did his MBBS from Stanley Medical college, Chennai & 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 National Board of Examinations, New Delhi.
He also holds the Specialty Certificate in Infectious Diseases awarded by the Royal
College of Physicians; UK & 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 & Infection Control at Apollo Hospitals,
Greams Road Chennai. He also consults at Apollo Speciality Hospitals OMR, Apollo
Proton Cancer Centre & Apollo First Med Hospital Kilpauk.
He has 36 publications, 2 text book chapters, 41 International conference abstracts
in the field of Infectious Diseases & believes in compassionate health care delivery.
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 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. 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. 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. 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. They are yearning to be your friends too. Try to spend time with some special child to know about their world. 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. Remember these to succeed. The best thing about school is friends. I am still in touch with my schoolmates. They are lifelong mates. But remember that a good leader is one who mingles with everyone. 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. We are free to choose but we are not free to escape the consequences. Choice is yours.
Best wishes dear School mates.
My self Dr. Ashwin, Asst. Commandant at Central Reserve Police Force is an alumni of prestigious Jawahar Vidyalaya. I had studied from 1st std to 10th std. Achievements applauds, opportunities-thoughts is what I gained from Jawahar Vidyalaya. I am proud to be a Jawaharite.
Now saying about my career, after completion of 12th Std at SBOA school and Junior College I went on to pursue my graduation in MBBS at Pondicherry institute of Medical Sciences, Puducherry in the year 2010. Medical college was entirely a different experience after completion of first and second year i.e. preclinicals I stepped into clinical year where we come in contact with actual patients and that’s the time when I decided that I shouldn’t go in a path in which all doctors go. I always craved for adventure in my life, I was passionate about trekking, skiing, mountaineering, skydiving and I started to search for it, and that was when I came to know about Combat trained doctor in Central Reserve Police Force, the largest paramilitary force in the world and I started to work towards it.
It was in 2018 finally when my dream came true got selected as Asst. Commandant (it is a group A gazetted post) in CRPF. The Force is presently handling a wide range of duties covering law and order, counter insurgency, anti-militancy and anti-naxal operations. The Force plays a key role in assisting the State Governments and UT Administrations in maintaining public order and countering subversive activities of naxalites, militant groups and insurgents. The CRPF is performing law and order duties, counter-insurgency operations in J&K and North East and Anti-Maoist operations Left Wing Extremism (LWE) affected states and other parts of the country.
I underwent basic training at CRPF Academy, Kadharpur, Gurugram and my first posting was at Jodhpur. Being a combat trained doctor is a challenging job it provides me an unparalleled pride of serving mankind and as well as our motherland.
In 2020 when COVID was declared as pandemic I got an opportunity to serve at Sardar Patel COVID Care Center and Hospital, New Delhi, is a 10000 bedded COVID care facility. (world’s largest COVID care center) We had treated more than 12000 COVID cases and we created a record of zero death.
At present I am in COBRA, COBRA stands for Commando Battalion for Resolute Action, a special force of CRPF. A specialised force which has been raised for fighting guerilla/jungle warfare also known as a ‘Jungle Warriors’, our hallmarks are Courage, Zeal and patriotism.
We fight guerilla like a guerilla. COBRA is one of the Central Armed Police in the country trained to survive, fight and win in the jungle and unquestionably/undoubtedly the best CAP in the country.
Today I stand in front of the society as a Doctor, serving man kind and as a Soldier serving the mother nation.
Jai hind.
B.S. Mubarak studied in Jawahar Vidyalaya from 1983-89 (Class IV to Class X).
He has very fond memories of studying in JV. Till date all his close friends are from his
JV days. (Kannan K, Raju Siva, Thiagarajan and Mohan Raja) He lived in Ashok Nagar
during his school and college days. His brother Dr. Mohammed also went to JV and is
presently a Hematologist in Australia. Career as an IFS officer.
Mr. B.S. Mubarak assumed charge as Ambassador of India to Guatemala in
December 2018. A career diplomat, Ambassador Mubarak joined the Indian Foreign
Service in 2001 and had served in Cairo, Dubai, Jeddah. He headed India’s Diplomatic
Mission in Palestine from 2012-14 and was Consul General of India in Jeddah from
2014-16.
Before assuming charge in Guatemala, Ambassador Mubarak was 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 Advance Study in
Marine Biology, Tamil Nadu, India. He takes special interest in sustainable
development.
He is married to Lathifa Mubarak and they have a daughter Manaal and son Abdul
Mannaan.
Photo. Taken during the call on the President of India before assuming charge as
Ambassador of India to Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras.
A career diplomat from the 2013 batch of the Indian Foreign Service (IFS),
Mr. Ashwin Bhaskaran has had a varied work experience both in the public and
private sectors. Born on 26th March 1986 in Chennai, India, he is one of the proud
alumnus of Jawahar Vidyalaya, where he spent most of his formative years, guided by
the JV principals.
Post his schooling, he secured Tamil Nadu State Distinction in Higher Secondary
School Examinations and went on to earn a Bachelor’s Degree with Honours in
Electrical Engineering from the prestigious College of Engineering Guindy (2003-2007),
followed by an MBA from IIM Kozhikode (2007-2009). Securing Pre-Placement Offer
(PPO) from ITC Limited, a leading FMCG company in India, he worked with this concern
for more than four years, across various locations including Kolkata, Bangalore, Patna
and Chennai handling a myriad of roles across various Strategic Business Units (SBUs)
of ITC.
In 2013, he cracked the Civil Services Examination and secured a position in IFS,
all the while working full time with ITC Limited. Ashwin Bhaskaran has served at the
Headquarters of the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India, New Delhi and
in Indian Missions abroad in Europe, Africa. Currently he is serving as the First
Secretary & Head of the Chancery in the Indian High Commission in Seychelles
handling Development Cooperation, Defence, Indian Diaspora Affairs and
Administrative Issues, under the able guidance of his Ambassador, Gen. Dalbir Singh
Suhag (Retd.)
His main assignments in New Delhi:
Under Secretary in the Indian Ocean Region (handling Sri Lanka) from 2013-
2015. Ashwin has also served in several Indian missions abroad. His overseas
assignments include the following:
• Third/Second Secretary in the Embassy of India in Madrid, Spain (August 2015
to October 2017); [Underwent the Diplomatic Masters Course in Spanish
Diplomatic College; the first Indian Diplomat to successfully complete this
Diplomatic Course conducted by the Spanish Government]
• Second/First Secretary in the High Commission of India in Seychelles November
2017. Presently serving as Under Secretary in Ministry of External Affairs handling
Nepal Desk.
He speaks fluent Hindi, English and Tamil and has full professional proficiency in
Spanish.
Justice G.R. Swaminathan hails from Thiruvarur. He moved to Chennai in
the year 1977 when his father got transferred. He joined Jawahar Vidyalaya in
Class VI. Swaminathan was a Tamil medium student till then. 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. He got enrolled as an Advocate in the year 1991. He had a
flourishing practice in all branches of law. He became the Assistant Solicitor
General of India for the Madurai Bench in the year 2014. During his practice,
he obtained an order for issuance of electoral I.D cards for transgenders and
secured ban on sand mining for five years in Thamirabarani River. He became
a Judge of the Madras High Court in the year 2017. In June 2019, he released
his performance card emphasizing the need for judicial accountability. He is
credited with a number of landmark judgments upholding personal liberties
and press freedom and the right of the transgenders to marry.
I, Dr. R. Sathya, proud alumnus of Jawahar Vidyalaya Senior Sec. School,
Chennai currently serving as the District Judge, Mahila and POCSO Court,
Pudukkottai District take this opportunity to share my journey from our School
to Judiciary.
I was a student of Jawahar Vidyalaya from 6th standard to 12th standard
and I belong to 1986 batch of Commerce group. During my school days, I
developed an interest to join the Law University and wanted to explore my
career in the field of Law.
After my 12th, I successfully cleared the Tamil Nadu law entrance exam
and was privileged to do the five years Integrated Bachelor of Law in the
prestigious Madras Law College. Upon successful completion of B.L, I enrolled
as an advocate in 1991 and started my practice in a renowned Law firm. I had
a strong inclination to do my Masters in Law while I was practicing and I
pursued to do my Masters in International and Constitutional law from Madras
University.
I continued my private practice as an Advocate in various law offices in
order to gain experience in both Civil and Criminal side. In 1998, I wrote the
Tamil Nadu Public service commission to join as Public Prosecutor and I was
one of the few selected. I joined in 1999 as an Assistant public prosecutor and
served in various courts of Vellore district and Chennai.
Within a year, the experience motivated me to take up a larger role in the public domain and I cleared the exam for Civil judges to join the Tamil Nadu Judicial services in September 2000. I was selected in Open Category as I stood first in state in the Tamil Nadu Public service commission civil judges examination. During my tenure as a Judge, I served in various districts of Tamil Nadu and got promoted as District Judge in 2018. I am presently officiating as Sessions Judge of Mahila and POCSO Court, Pudukkottai District which deals with cases relating to women and children. As a Mahila session Judge, I was very careful in delivering justice to women and children with utmost sincerity.
I would like to place on record that I had disposed many pending cases both civil and criminal after assuming my charge and pronounced a landmark judgement by awarding triple death sentence to the accused who had committed a heinous act on a 7 year old female child within a period of three months. Amidst the challenging situations of COVID, I had been pronouncing judgements relating to abuse of children and I had also pronounced a hat-trick death sentence within a period of five months which gave tons of solace to the young victims of Physical abuse and harassment.
You may wonder at the prefix Dr, well along with my judicial duties I had enrolled for the Doctoral program in law from The Dr. Ambedkar Law University, Chennai and successfully defended my thesis on the “Structure and functioning of subordinate judiciary” and I was conferred Doctorate in law in the year 2015.
My journey from school till the completion of the Doctoral program taught me one thing, that anything is possible if you have the will to pursue and an interest to excel.
Although my school days were filled with a balance of academic and extracurricular activities, the learning methodology imbibed in Jawahar Vidyalaya school kept the thirst for knowledge as a lifelong pursuit. The academic vigour kept us motivated to learn more and self-learning methods taught us to explore for new knowledge. Our Teachers taught us to stay self-disciplined, humble and knowledgeable.
I am grateful to my beloved Teachers and my classmates for the lovely growing up years in Jawahar Vidyalaya. Our school was not only a place to teach and learn but provided us with the most important nurturing ambience which allows a seed to grow into a tree.
Thank you
Jawahar Vidyalaya – A Path to Success
Life is not linear. It often takes us on journeys different from those we may
have originally expected. The grounding that we receive in our childhood
throughout our years at school is the foundation on which we build our
successes, wherever life takes us.
A. S. Venkatesh (ASV) undoubtedly credits JV with providing him with a
strong framework comprising a positive approach and an ebullient
consciousness in his approach to life. It is said that simplicity is the key to
brilliance and if so, ASV certainly follows the JV motto: Be Brilliant!
An inquisitive and an eager student, ASV revelled in the enthusiastic
teaching culture at JV, soaking in knowledge like a sponge. Throughout his JV
years – from class 3 to class 12, he excelled in academics taking home the first
rank in his class every year, without exception. Education at JV was never
about rote, according to him. The orientation was to inculcate in the students
to think, consider and evaluate. This value of this approach was evident in that
he qualified for the National Talent Scholarship and won the Maths Olympiad,
and continued on a path of educational excellence by obtaining his B.Tech at
IIT Chennai and his MBA at IIM Ahmedabad, both top notch institutes of India.
Notwithstanding the focus on curriculum, the ambience at school was like
a family, with teachers taking on the role of counsellors when needed by the
students. He fondly remembers his two Principals – Ms. Susan George Pulimood
and Mr. R. Krishnan for their disciplined administration. His teachers, Ms.
Sharadha (biology) and Mrs. Uma Prabha Krishnan (economics) played a
defining role instilling a strong and everlasting value system of ethics and
morals as tenets of life.
His mathematics teacher Mrs. Pattamal led him through the marvellous world of mathematics, expertly guiding him to reach higher and higher. He aced every challenge and even today is happiest when he is working with numbers, be it corporate balance sheets or a game of sudoku.
The warmth and friendly environment in school set an encouraging tone for students to engage in extracurricular activities which were great fun. ASV remembers the excitement of taking part in debating, stage plays, interschool sports events and even cooking competitions! While these honed his leadership skills at an early age, they also instilled a valuable proclivity towards fair play. Once he donned the collar of School Captain at JV, ASV never looked back, assuming leadership roles consistently at IIT, IIM and further at every association he engaged in.
Today, ASV is Managing Director of his own construction company, Popular Foundations, which undertakes civil works contracts in Tamil Nadu and South India. His customers are well known names in engineering colleges, medical institutions and the hotel industry. His work efficiency, fair and ethical business practices and calm working are traits most valued by his customers.
Social causes are very dear to ASV’s heart and he invests a large part of his time in working for the underprivileged through the globally recognised humanitarian organisation Rotary International, head quartered at Chicago in USA and he will serve on its Board of Directors for 2021-23. He is passionate about empowering the girl child.
ASV believes that the formula to succeed and reach the top is intelligence plus character plus compassion and JV has definitely fostered all of these in him!
Dr. Gita Krishnan Ramadurai is an Associate Professor in the Transportation
Engineering Division, Department of Civil Engineering, IIT Madras and a core faculty
member in the Robert Bosch Center for Data Science and AI at IIT Madras. His
overarching goal is to develop technological and management solutions for a safe and
sustainable transportation system. His primary research interests are in 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, NY, in June 2009, M.S. in Civil Engineering from University of Texas at Austin in
December 2003, and B.Tech., with honors in Civil Engineering from Indian Institute of
Technology, Roorkee in May 2002. He was awarded First Place in the 2009 Dissertation
Prize by Transportation Science and Logistics Society, Institute for Operations Research
and Management Science (INFORMS) in San Diego, USA. He is a recipient of New York
Metropolitan Transportation Commission’s September 11 Memorial Program
Fellowship in 2007-08. He has co-authored over 75 conference and journal papers. He
has served as a principal / co-investigator in Government of India funded projects on
ITS and urban transportation. He has advised Chennai Port Trust, JNPT, Kolkotta Port
Trust and CIDCO, Navi Mumbai on improving congestion of trucks destined to ports,
and various government organizations including Chennai Corporation, Tamil Nadu
Police, TNHSP/EMS, MTC on ITS technology implementation, transportation planning
and management, and road safety. He was a corresponding member of the IRC H-8
committee on urban roads from 2015-17.
B. Saravana Prasath from Jawahar Vidyalaya Commerce group, year 1994.
Shri B. Saravana Prasath is a graduate in Commerce and a Fellow Member of the
Institute of Chartered Accountants of India. He secured Fourth Rank in the Madras
University in his Graduation Examinations.
He did his Chartered Accountancy Articleship Training under the tutorship of Shri
G Sekar FCA Chennai during 1995 – 1998.
He secured the First Rank in the Chartered Accountancy Final Examinations,
securing 76% in the aggregate. He also secured the Third Rank in the Intermediate
Examinations and Tenth Rank in the Foundation Examinations.
His academic performance includes 99% in CA Final Accounting Paper and 96%
in CA Intermediate Auditing Paper.
He is a practicing Chartered Accountant in the Firm M/s G Sekar Associates,
Chartered Accountants, Chennai for the past 20 years. His areas of specialization
include Accounting Standards, Accounting Systems, Cost Accounting, Management
Decision Making, Direct and Indirect Taxation, Government Accounting and Systems
Audit.
He is a Faculty Member for Students of CA Inter and CA Final at Shri Guru
Kripa’s Institute of Management, Chennai, Regional Training Institute of the C&AG,
and Income Tax Department, Chennai, and other Management Development and
Professional Training Institutions.
He is a Career Guidance Counsellor for l0+2 Students and has regularly
addressed many Career Counselling Programmes called ”Vazhikaati” organized by
Dinamalar Magazine. His one-to-one sessions have made many CA Students achieve
success with high marks.
With a view to transmit his experience on approaching the examinations and to
erase the exam-phobia from the minds of Students, he has co-authored a Book titled
“Guidance Note for passing the CA Exams”. He is the Author and Co-Author of
around 30 Books for CA Students.
His style of communication, techniques of approaching the subject, guidelines for
preparing the examinations are quite popular among students.
Dr. Harshini Mukundan graduated from Jawahar Vidyalaya (CBSE) in 1992. She
was the captain of Sarojini house and enjoyed her time with schooling, cultural
activities and sports.
She went on to pursue undergraduate (BS Hons in Microbiology) degree from the
University of Delhi and a masters in Microbiology from Bhopal University with her
thesis work being performed at the National Institutes of Immunology in Delhi. She
then went on to pursue her PhD in biomedical sciences in the United States. After
graduation with her doctorate, Harshini worked for two years at a startup biotechnology
company before starting a post-doctoral fellowship at the prestigious Los Alamos
National laboratory in 2006. She was converted to staff scientist and has stayed there
ever since. Her research has focused on developing agnostic diagnostics for emerging
infectious diseases. Today, Harshini is the team leader for the chemistry for biomedical
applications team and the acting group leader for physician chemistry and applied
spectroscopy group at LANL. She mentors’ students and post-doctoral fellows in science
and has been recognized many times for her mentorship. Her research work has lead
to many patents, and over 70 peer reviewed publications. She has received an RD100
award for the diagnostic methods- which indicates the technology was rated among the
top 100 for that evaluation period. She has had numerous other recognitions, including
her Los Alamos fellows prize in research, New Mexico technology council’s women in
technology award, named among 500 women scientists and Los Alamos innovators.
She was named an IF/THEN ambassador in 2019 by the American association for
advancement in science (AAAS). In 2021, Harshini was among 125 scientists to be
honored as part of an exhibit of 3D statues honoring women innovators in science.
Vaikunth Kasturirangan (Alumnus of Batch 1996, Jawahar Vidyalaya)
Vaikunth is a well-known figure in the field of Child Rights and Child Safety in
India. Since 2010 till date, he has been actively working upon bringing about many
changes with respect to the safety and policies relating to Children in India. He was one
of the petitioners and was instrumental in the recent law that brought about “Death
Penalty for Child Rapists” as a law in India. He is one of the shortlisted persons for the
post of Honorable Chairperson of National Commission for Protection of Child Rights
(NCPCR), Ministry of Women and Child Welfare, Government of India. He is a popular
speaker at various Schools, Colleges and Corporates and has presided numerous
functions wherein he has conducted numerous sessions for Children and Parents with
respect to Child Safety and grooming children. His most popular quote is “The Values
that we leave for our Children are more important than the Valuables we leave them
with”.
He is also an expert in Varmakalai – One of the oldest forms of Medicine and
Martial Arts and is said to be 50,000+ years old. He has trained more than 2000
girl children on Self-Defense mechanisms so that they can stay confident and well
protected from potential dangers in the future. He and his team of Green Cross
Health Organization have been instrumental in recovering many children from distress
and those who were kidnapped. He also manages Balalayam Music & Arts Academy,
the World’s 1st and only online competitive platform that is capable of conducting
various Global competitions and contests for children by collaborating with Schools and
Institutions. Every child deserves a chance to perform, and Balalayam’s unique and
innovative platform seamlessly help conduct various contests like Singing, Music,
Dance, Instrumental, Percussion and many more.
Mr. C. Ramana Kishore is one of the foremost and pioneering technicians in
the South Indian television platform as we know it today. He started with the iconic
Sun Television Network under the able guidance of Mr. Kannan as an editor in
1994 when the conglomerate was just blooming.
Since then, Mr. Ramana Kishore and the channels he has been a part of, have
come a long long way. Ramana Kishore was instrumental in the execution of the
live format entertainment/infotainment broadcasting as we know it today. He used
to shuttle between Philippines, Singapore and India to bridge post production
mediums between head stations and regional stations for a mass scale broadcast
format. He has been an editor in iconic Tamil shows like ‘Neengal Ketta Padal’,
‘Pepsi Ungal Choice’, ‘Super 10’, ‘Sapthaswarangal’, ‘Manaada Mayilaada’, and
many many more. He has also been the chief editor managing a large department
in Kalaignar TV too. Since then, he has also built a large post production team
evolving with the mass broadcasting requirements that has grown with the
diaspora of reach that Sun Network and Kalaignar Network commands today. He
has won numerous accolades for his contributions. Most notable being ‘The
Guinness Book of World Records’ for his contribution to an iconic show that was
part of the legendary ‘Maanaada Mayilaada’ show.
Mr. Kishore continues leading his ever-evolving team today to deliver iconic
shows after shows consistently and constantly. Apart from his technical
accomplishments, Mr. Kishore spends a good amount of time keeping himself
updated with the contemporary projects and cutting-edge technologies that our
industry has to offer today.
Prof. KK Anand was a student of JV from the year 1985 to 1992 (Stds. VI
to XII). He was academically a brilliant student, Captain of School Cricket Team
& was a part of the School Orchestra as Violinist. He then was a topper from
BITS Pilani with a dual degree in BE(Hons) Chemical Engineering & BE(Hons)
Computer Science and also topper of MS (USA) in Chemical Engineering.
Leaving all the lucrative opportunities both nationally and abroad, he took
the task of IIT-JEE training from 2004 by instituting SMART (Science and
Mathematics Academy for the Real Talents), a Premier Coaching Institute for
Engineering & Medical Entrance Exams and Olympiads in Chennai that has
been producing excellent results for several years.
In the arena of IIT-JEE training, Prof. KK Anand is regarded as a Guru par
Excellence by the students, as he is the only one in India who teaches all the three
subjects viz. Maths, Physics and Chemistry for IIT-JEE Advanced
to the extent of
producing the best results. His video lectures for JEE-Main & Advanced, NEET and
Maths Olympiads (AMTI-NMTC, Pre-RMO & INMO) are very popular among the
students for its in-depth & comprehensive coverage, conceptual clarity, insightful
explanations and higher order Problem Solving Strategies.
Recognizing his excellent services in IIT-JEE Education, the CBSE (Central
Board of Secondary Education) for its prestigious program UDAAN in the year
2014, appointed him as National Chief Mentor and also distributed his Video
lectures to 1000 meritorious & economically weaker girl students throughout
the country.
In recognition of his Exemplary Commitment and impactful Positive
Contribution to Education in Tamil Nadu, the Times of India presented the
Edulcons Award in 2016, meant for Pioneers of Education in Tamil Nadu.
In 2016, in order to revolutionaries the concept of schooling, Prof. KK Anand
instituted Smart Minds Academy, as a full-fledged day-time Alternate School
(Stds. I to XII) for nurturing Children towards Holistic Academic Excellence,
while its operations started by 2015 for only Stds. I & XI. This pathbreaking
school equips the students with knowledge and skills to attain greater
competence & face all future challenges with confidence, including Olympiads,
Engineering and Medical Entrance Exams.
Film Director Mohan Raja
Mohan Raja studied in Jawahar Vidyalaya from his kindergarten till his 10th
standard (1977-89).
He considers his schooling to play a major part for his positive approach
towards life. Upon that the friendship he won in schooling is his major moral
strength even today and forever. One such friend who he feels proud is Mr.
B.S. Mubarak, Ambassador of India to Guatemala.
Being the son of the veteran Film Editor and producer Mr. Mohan, he
was always interested in Cinema from a very young age. Since the age of 15,
he used to take part in the creative part of his father’s movies. After
schooling, he studied BA Corporate Secretary ship in New College Chennai
(1991-94) and after that he finished Diploma in Direction and Screenplay
writing in the M.G.R film institute, Tharamani Chennai (1996-99).
He involved himself completely in his father’s films until he directed his
debut film titled ‘Hanuman Junction’ produced by his father in the year
2001, which was a blockbuster commercially, running for more than 175
days in the then Andhra Pradesh and won accolades for his handling on
comedy and family drama efficiently. Then he made his debut in Tamil Nadu
through a Tamil film named ‘Jayam’ in the year 2003 which also marked
the debut of his brother Ravi as hero who was later called as Jayam Ravi.
It went on to become a sensational hit and with the selection of proper story and sincere efforts, he gave consecutive blockbuster hits like-M Kumaran S/O Mahalakshmi (2004), Unakkum Enakkum (2006), Santhosh Subramaniam (2008), Thillalangadi (2010).
In continuation to this he made a prestigious project-Velayudham (2011) with a big star Vijay which too became a huge success. He won the Tamil Nadu government state award for best film for M kumaran for the year 2004.
The highlight of his career happened in the year 2015 in which he released his film Thanioruvan starring his brother Jayam Ravi, Nayanthara and Aravindswamy. This film is considered to be one of the rare Tamil films that has won highest critical and commercial success together as never before. It’s one of the very few films that won almost all the awards in that year including prestigious Film fare award and iffa Best director awards.
In the renowned imdb film ratings it holds a place in the top 20 Indian films ever made for the consecutive 7th year with a rating of 8.5/10. It is considered to be a very informative and first of its kind thought provoking film dealing the life of IPS officer who unravels the hidden layers of organised crimes.
This film was remade in Telugu as Dhruva starring big star RamCharan and also remade in Bengali titled One.
Following to this film he made a film starting Sivakarthikeyan titled Velaikkaran which was famous in dealing food adulteration and went on to become an eye opener for the children affected by junk food addiction. Having reached a status of a successful director, Mohan Raja not only sees the film medium as entertainment but also made sure that his films makes a strong mark in dealing social and political concepts which has made a positive impact in the minds of the audience. Currently he is directing a big budget movie in Telugu starring Megastar Chiranjeevi.
Jayam Ravi did his entire schooling in Jawahar Vidyalaya (1983-97).
The recognition he got through winning various dance competitions throughout his
schooling encouraged him to focus more in arts and dance which later added more to
his acting career.
He studied dance under the Bharatanatyam teacher Shrimati Kalaimamani Nalini
Balakrishnan and performed his Arangetram in 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 get in the film industry.
He also trained in acting at the Kishore Namit Kapur Institute in Mumbai. Before
debuting as an actor, Ravi had been an assistant director to Suresh Krishna for
Aalavandhan (2001), starring Kamal Haasan.
He has won a Filmfare Award and three SIIMA Awards.
The son of veteran film editor Mohan, Ravi made his debut as an actor in the
romantic drama film Jayam (2003), directed by his elder brother Mohan Raja and
produced by his father. The success of this film prompted the title to become a prefix
to his stage name, and he continued to collaborate with his brother for other films
including M Kumaran S/O Mahalakshmi (2004), Unakkum Enakkum (2006), Santhosh
Subramaniam (2008), Thillalangadi (2010) and Thani Oruvan (2015).
*AWARDS*
2004 – Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Actor – Tamil Nadu State Film Awards
M. Kumaran Son of Mahalakshmi.
2006 – Kalaimamani award.
2015 – SIIMA Awards for Best Actor (Critics) – SIIMA – Thani Oruvan.
2015 – Best Actor South Film Fare Critic – Thani Oruvan.
2015 – Best Actor – Bhooloham – Vikatan Awards.
2015 – Edison Award for Best Actor – Thani Oruvan.
2015 – Performance in a Leading Role – Male – IIFA Utsavam – Thani Oruvan.
2015 – Most Romantic Star of South Indian Cinema SIIMA – Romeo Juliet.
2018 – Critics Choice for Best Actor – SIIMA Awards – Adanga Maru.
Shreya has always been extremely dramatic since school. She had an inclination
towards acting from a very early age. She used to take part in almost all the cocurricular
activities in Schools and Colleges as those would interest her more. She
pursued her schooling from Jawahar Vidyalaya – Ashok Nagar, Chennai. She was a
NCC Sergeant in her school and had won numerous awards for her involvement in
various activities in school and inter school activities/competitions.
She worked on her first movie when she was in class 8th. She worked on Varanam
Ayiram with Surya under Gautham Vasudev Menon’s direction. She worked in several
feature films as a child artist during her summer vacations in School.
She then pursued her Under Graduation after scoring 92% in her 12th board from
MOP VAISHNAV college where she had bagged the CLEAN AND CLEAR fresh face Title
sponsored by Times Network.
Eventually she pursued her post-Graduation in MS in media communication from
Christ University Bangalore. Post which she decided to give all her time to the career
she’s passionate about Acting.
She relocated to Mumbai, started off from scratch by giving numerous auditions
every day. She went with the intention of giving this profession a try and ended up
being in Mumbai for 5 years now. Shreya is now a known face in the OTT industry.
She’s done numerous television commercials. Her YouTube videos with AIB filter copy,
RVCJ etc., are extremely famous amongst Youth.
In 2020 Shreya bagged emerging face of digital Industry award along with
Intercontinental quality award for her contribution to the digital industry.
During her Ted x NIT Raipur speech, she had mentioned that now she’s the only
earning member of the family and she’s extremely proud of all the hard work she’s been
putting in creating her own world in the city of dreams, “Mumbai”.
Shreya was Last seen sharing screen space with Rajinikanth in the feature film
Darbar. Being a Bengali she’s extremely fluent in Tamil and she’s looking forward to
expand her opportunities across the country.
Interest towards music and dance. I was 5 when I started learning Carnatic music
and Classical dance from the gurus at the, Temple of Fine Arts International,
Chennai. My very first light music stage performance as a singer and Bharatanatyam
dancer was at the age of 9 for Isai Mottukal children’s orchestra.
In parallel to my singing career, I discovered this magical art of whistling within
myself and indulged completely with full passion. I joined the Indian Whistlers
Association and started winning accolades. I later joined the well-renowned
‘Shankar’s Saadhaga Paravaigal’ orchestra and continued to pursue my passion. I
have performed over 2500 whistling and singing shows across Tamil Nadu and abroad
(Colombo, London, Paris, Muscat, Salalah and Oman).
I was fortunate to perform at Raj Bhavan in front of the former TN Governor, his
Excellency Surjit Singh Barnala. I have also performed in a felicitation event for
Chennai Super Kings (CSK) cricket team.
I have appeared in various famous television and radio programs and have also
appeared in popular articles / magazines and newspaper interviews.
My dream is to perform Carnatic & Western Music concerts in Whistling and make
Whistling a recognized art like singing and dancing.
QUALIFICATION
Music Coordinator – SaReGaMaPa 2019
Zee Tamil television channel
Trinity College London – Theory and Vocals (2015-17)
Secured 92% in Grade-8 Theory and 93% in Grade-8 vocals with Distinction
Assistant Editor in Valeba Raja (Tamil Movie)
Under Mr. Sathyaraj Natarajan (Editor)
Diploma in Film Technology – Editing & Sound Design (2012-13)
L.V. Prasad Film and TV Academy, Chennai
Gold Medal for Sound Design and Silver Medal for Editing
Bachelor of Science – Visual Communication (2009-12)
SSS Jain college for Women, Chennai
University 9th rank holder
Primary, Secondary & Higher Secondary Education – Jawahar Vidyalaya, Chennai
WORLD WHISTLING CHAMPION – 2016 & 2018
I participated in the World Whistling Competition (2016) held in Japan and secured the First place in all the categories that I participated in, competing with the best whistlers from all over the world. I take great pride to be the First Indian Woman to win the first prize in the history of World Whistling Competitions, in which I performed Western Classical Opera – “Queen of the night” and our very own ‘Paatum Naane’ song (from the movie “Thiruvilayaadal”). And I whistled and also performed Bharatanatyam together for ‘Minsara poove’ song (from the movie Padayappa) for another category, which was a very difficult attempt never thought of or done by anyone. I bagged the First prize for the same.
I took part in the World Whistling Competition, Japan (2018) as well and won 3 AWARDS.
BOOK OF RECORDS
I whistled continuously for 18 hours (197 songs) to enter the Asia Book of Records, India Book of Records and Tamil Nadu Book of Records on Oct 5,2014. I whistled Indian classical songs, devotional, old Tamil songs, Hindi classics, unplugged versions, ARR to Anirudh songs, Ilayaraja hits and other challenging songs.
I’m also a Limca record holder for whistling ‘Sare Jahan Se Acha’ along with 48 whistlers in Unison.
On 25th Feb 2018, 150 whistlers including myself entered the Asia & India Book of Records for ‘Most people whistling together’ at Kochi.
WHISTLING FOR FILMS
Music Director D. Imman introduced me to the Tamil Film Industry as a whistler. My work with D. Imman includes – Varuthapadatha Valibar Sangam – Yennada, Jilla – Verasa Pogayile, Kayal – Pararvayaa Parakirom, Pokkiri Raja – Waltzing Whistle theme, Wagah – Yedho Maayam Seigirai, Bogan – Spooky Bogan theme, Tik Tik Tik – Kurumba, Seemaraja – Seemaraja Swag, Viswasam – Vetti Kattu, Teddy – Theme, Laabam theme.
My whistling for other movies include:- Nibunan – Vaada Vaa, Hunting the shadows and in BGM, Hara Hara Mahadevaki – Chikku Bukku, Hara Hara Mahadevaki – Haiyo Konjam, En Aaloda Seruppa Kanom BGM, Iru Mugan – Whistle Dubbed for Chiyaan Vikram and Nayantara, Thuppaki Munai – Yaar Ivan song and BGM, June (Malayalam movie) – Koodu vittu song and Teacher Whistle (BGM).
Ashwath N, Music Director is an alumni of Jawahar Vidyalaya Senior Secondary School (2003 Batch). He finished his Integrated Masters in Media Science in the College of Engineering, Guindy in 2008.
He started his career as a News Producer/Director in NDTV group for 4 years before he ventured into the film industry.
He has composed music for more than 75 short films including a few international ones, and around 100 advertisements. He has also scored music for a few web series plays & TV shows.
His stint as a Music Director in the Tamil film industry began with the Tamil feature film “Nalanum Nandhiniyum”. The film has tracks by leading vocalists across India, and got released in 2014. Though the tracks were not popular, the music of the film was written about as a positive aspect of the film in all the leading newspapers, websites and magazines.
He has composed music for a couple of Tamil. Feature films after that and currently working on a bilingual film titled ‘FIR’ starring Vishnu Vishal and Gautam Menon.
He is also a UGC-NET qualified lecturer on Mass Communication and Journalism and works as a guest lecturer in a few colleges, where he shares his insights about the media and film industry.
lndumathy Ganesh, Artistic Director, NRITHYOLLASA DANCE ACADEMY
Inspired by all forms of dance from a tender age, Indumathy (Gopal) Ganesh·’s time at Jawahar Vidyalaya immediately conjures up memories of all her dance performances at various school events. In addition to her several memorable Bharatanatyam shows, many school friends and teachers also remember her as a young ballerina with her graceful pirouettes and can still vividly recall her mesmerizing snake dance during her teenage years. Therefore, it was a surprise to no one when Indumathy decided to pursue her passion and dedicate her life to the rich dance form of Bharatanatyam.
After years of rigorous study in both the theoretical and applied aspects of Bharatanatyam including Nattuvangam (dance conducting), Indumathy’s performance career has spanned multiple continents and historic venues. Considered one of the premier exponents of Bharatanatyam, she has earned accolades from dance critics, connoisseurs and the respect of her contemporaries through her mastery of the fundamentals of this ancient art form. She effortlessly weaves together bhava, raga and tala to captivate audiences with her physical poetry, perfect rhythm, and heartfelt emotions.
Over the past three decades, Indumathy has received worldwide recognition for her numerous solo and group thematic productions, most notably: Glory of Rama, Bhakthi Shakthi: The Strength of Devotion, Arpana, The Splendor of Dance, Swapna – Dream. Nrithyamala, Antaryami and Krishna Anubhavam. In addition, she has participated as a soloist in the prestigious San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival and the Asian Pacific Performing Arts Festival.
She has also collaborated with luminaries in her field to choreograph and present US-based productions such as in Praise of Giving, The Hero’s Journey, Navagraha, Stree Mahima, Abhaya Hasta, Shringara, Maitreem Bhajata, TriDevi Natyotsava and many more. Many productions intertwined classical Bharatanatyam with other dance forms to share modern-day stories, thus expanding the traditional boundaries allowed by this ancient dance form. Indumathy’s storied performance career has resulted in her being conferred the titles of Natya Mayuri and Lalitha Kala Rathna for her dedication to the arts.
Not simply content with a purely performance-based career, lndumathy founded Nrithyollasa Dance Academy in 1989 in California. USA in order to teach young dancers this noble art form. Nrithyollasa Dance Academy has trained, nurtured and graduated hundreds of students, many who have gone on to produce, choreograph and perform on their own. Academy students have won multiple worldwide classical dancing awards and have performed all over the US, Europe and South Asia. More recently, Indumathy’s daughter, Akshaya Ganesh – a principal dancer in the Academy – and Nrithyollasa’s senior dancers have been inspired and guided by their Guru, Indumathy to explore new channels and formats for spreading traditional Bharatanatyam beyond the Indian diaspora.
Over the last decade, Indumathy has been praised for recognizing the power of dance as a medium to advance awareness and action for meaningful causes. She and her students have produced and performed several fundraisers for worthy causes such as fundraising for Bay Area Hindu temples, GOD (Global Organization of Divinity), orphanages in India. AASRA (support for crisis intervention), Adyar Cancer Institute (support for cancer research). Sewa International (support for those affected by wildfires in California), World Wildlife Fund (support for tiger conservation), Literacy for Environmental Justice (support for ecological health) and more.
From her early days as a passionate dancer to her current status as a renowned master of dance, Indumathy is an advocate for using the art of Bharatanatyam as a tool for on-going cultural change, inspiration and education.
Dr. R. Vijay Madhavan is an accomplished dancer, a noted soloist, brilliant
choreographer and an inspiring tutor. His widely appreciated performances
stand as a testimony to his fertile imagination and creativity. He has several
thematic solo and group productions to his credit. He is an active participant
of the annual ritualistic tradition of Bhagavata Mela at Melattur for three
decades now.
His cast in the song “Senthamizh Nadu” – the curtain raiser of Jaya TV
since 1999 is still a connoisseur’s delight.
Dr. R. Vijay strongly believes that “Art has to reach the common man”.
To transform this vision into reality he has created a unique pedagogy
wherein differently abled children have access to learning this art form.
The Government of India conferred upon him, recently, the Ustad Bismillah
Khan “Yuva Puraskar” instituted by the Sangeet Natak Akademi, Delhi.
He is also the recipient of several prestigious titles like “Narthaka Nipuna”
by ABHAI – The Association of Bharatanatyam Artistes of India, “Yuva Kala
Bharathi” by Bharat Kalachar, Chennai “Nrutya Kala Bharathi” by Samskara
Bharathi, Hyderabad. His album “Bharathiyil Sanmatham” has garnered
immense acclaim and appreciation amongst the dance community.
He is an A-graded artist at Doordarshan and an empaneled artist at ICCR (Indian Council for Cultural Relations). He has received both the National Scholarship for Dance and Junior Research Fellowship instituted by the Department of Culture. He has received the production grant from the Tamil Nadu Eyal lsai Nataka Manram and also by the Ministry of Culture. He is pursuing his Tagore Scholarship program.
Vijay received his doctoral degree from the University of Sri Chandrasekhara Viswa Maha Vidyalaya. He is a visiting faculty for Dance at the University of Madras. He has authored several academically acclaimed research papers.
He founded Rechita Nrutyalaya in 1996 at West Mambalam and has since been training many students from both India and abroad in Bharatanatyam and Nattuvangam.
Dr. Vijay Madhavan is a creator of ‘Natyagraphy’ technique. This technique is one of its kinds that help in encapsulating Bharatanatyam in a written form. Recently it has garnered the attention of dance aspirants across the globe. Many workshops have been conducted and several dancers have been trained in this technique. The vision is to document the creation of veterans and make it accessible to dance aspirants. Natyagraphy is an easy and comprehensive tool, unifying several bani of dancers under an umbrella. Natyagraphy would become the most accepted language for Bharatanatyam by every dancer in the future.
Sri Gurubyo Namah
- A Chartered Accountant by qualification, a Consultant by profession, Seetha is a
dancer by passion. - Senior most student of Guru Padmasri Dr. Shobana, Kalarpana, did her
Arangetram in 1997. - Regular solo performer at various prestigious Sabha in Chennai.
- Along with her students, she has performed at Natyanjali Festival, Chidambaram
(Mar 2019), Mamallapuram Festival (Jan 2015 & Jan 2018), Mahabalipuram,
Marudha Natyanjali (March 2021), Thiruvarur Natyanjali (Feb 2020) and also given
solo performances in premier regional TV channels like Sun TV, Jaya TV, Raj TV,
Sun Life TV and Makkal TV.
Some of the awards bestowed on Seetha for her performances are:
• “Best Dancer Award” from Shri Parthasarathy Swamy Sabha for the year
2017.
• “Padmavati Rashtriya Puraskar” by Shri Jayadev Rashtriya Samaroh,
Bhuvaneshwar.
• “Kala Pravah” at the Kalajyothi Festival, Kolkata.
• “Golden Artist” at the Guru Sishya Utsav 2018.
• “Bharat Gaurav Samman 2019” at the International Dance Festival, Nepal.
• “Nitya Kalakar” from ISFA.
• “Bharata Vallunar 2019” from Tao Payoh West CC, Singapore.
➢ As a senior performer in her Guru’s troupe since 1996 and has extensively travelled in India and to countries like USA, Canada, UK, Europe, Malaysia, Singapore, Middle-East, Far-East to name a few.
➢ She is bestowed with the privilege of having performed, alongside her Guru, with some of the best of artists in the field of arts like Shri Vikku Vinayakram, Shri Selva Ganesh, Late Shri ‘Mandolin’ U Shrinivas, Shri Ganesh-Kumaresh, Shri Valayapatti Subramaniyam, Ustad Zakir Hussain, Shri Aman-Ayan, Shri Bikram Ghosh, Shri Sivamani, Shri Vijay Ghate, Shri Anil Srinivas to name a few.
➢ Played protagonist in her Guru’s productions “Maya Ravan” and pivotal roles in “Krishna, the Musical”. Adorned the role of Lord Krishna in her Guru’s production “Gita Govindam”.
➢ Started her own dance school “Sushobanam Academy of Classical Arts” in 1997 and travels for performances across the country along with her students.
➢ Seetha has undergone intensive training in Nattuvangam under the able tutelage of her Guru, and has accompanied her in this regard too.
➢ Currently undergoing advanced level training in “Natyashastra and Karanaas” under Dr. Sujatha Mohan, senior student of Dr. Padma Subrahmanyan.
Some of the thematic dance productions of Seetha are:
▪ “Bhooloka Vaikuntam – Aranganin Srirangam” on the reclining lord of Srirangam – conferred with AWARD OF APPRECIATION by Shri Parthasarathy Swamy Sabha in 2019.
▪ “Shanmuga – Thirupugazhin Nayaka” on the beautiful Lord Muruga – premiered in Dec 2019 focusing on the Thirupughazh of Arunagirinathar.
▪ “Shiva Loka Darishanam” – very recently launched in Jan 2021.
➢ Seetha has also been recognised by the D. Rangaswamy Academy as “Nightingale 2.0”, which is a recognition given for CAs who have excelled in other fields and published about her achievements in their book titled the same.
Anuroopitha completed her schooling stds. I-X in Jawahar Vidyalaya Higher
Secondary School, Chennai passed out in 2004.
Anuroopitha is a Practicing Chartered accountant and Proprietor of
ANUROOPITHA AND COMPANY, Chartered Accountants. She is also a Qualified Cost
and management accountant from ICWAI and has got her Bachelor’s in accounting and
finance from M.O.P. Vaishnav College, Chennai.
She is trained in the art of Bharatanatyam for more than 20 years under Guru Dr.
Padmashri Shobana,
Conferred the title ‘’NATYA CHUDAR’’ by Karthik fine arts in the year 2012.
She has been awarded “Cultural Talent Search Scholarship” given by
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA for seven years. (2003- 2009).
Based on merit and scholarship given by the institution of Kalarpana, she has
performed with Guru Shobana for season 2009 at Bharath Kalachar as a “duet
performer”.
She has travelled across the globe accompanying her guru in various shows and
playing pivotal roles like Seetha in the production “MAYA RAVAN”, as “Krishna” and
“Radha” for “THE MUSICAL-KRISHNA”, little Krishna in “NOWKACHARITHRAM”.
She has also done solo performances at various prestigious Sabha in Chennai for
December Margazhi season-SPIRIT OF YOUTH festival at Music academy in 2006, 51st
art and dance festival at KRISHNA GANA SABHA in 2007, at VDS ARTS ACADEMY in
year 2003 & year 2005, NATYAARANGAM at Narada Gana Sabha 2004, for KARTHIK
FINE ARTS at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan in 2012, MYLAPORE FINE ARTS CLUB in 2014.
She was the Winner of “THAKA DHIMI THA “show telecast in JAYA TV during the
year 2000 and winner of 5th JHAVERI SANSKRITI SUR TAAL 2007, an intercollege
competition representing M.O.P. VAISHNAV COLLEGE in the year 2007.
She has also performed with her guru at SOORYA FESTIVALs, shows organised by
TIMES OF INDIA, Bengaluru Habba at Chowdiah Memorial hall, Chembur fine arts
society Bombay staging “GITA GOVINDAM”, Natya darshan – a lecdem series in 2009,
SAMADHINA in the year 2015, Temple festivals at Kolkata, 100 YEAR INDIAN CINEMA
CELEBRATION, Kamal Hassan 50 years in VIJAY TV, ANR Awards in 2015 and Chennai
international film festival 2013 to name a few.
S.P. Ramh passed out from Jawahar Vidyalaya in 1987.
S.P. Ramh hails from a family of Musicians. While his father Shri. R. Shankaran happens to be a Veena artist and teacher, his maternal grandfather, KalaiMamani and Sangeetha Bhushanam Shri.G.N. Dhandapani was a Veena artist and teacher who was serving All India Radio as staff artist for well over three decades.
S.P. RAMH completed his schooling in Jawahar Vidyalaya, Chennai. Ramh got inspired into playing of Veena at a very young age by his father and got his early lessons in Veena from his grandfather. Later, Ramh took to vocal music at the suggestion of his father.
Initially, he learnt singing under Shri. Narayanan and Shri. Sethalapathy Balasubramaniam, then on under Shri. S. Rajam and Dr. S. Ramanathan. Year 1988 has been special for Ramh. He finally came under the care and guidance of PADMA BHUSHAN Lalgudi. Shri. G. Jayaraman, a violinist and a composer of international repute.
Ramh has been a regular performer in musical avenues throughout India. His concerts have won the hearts of music lovers and connoisseurs alike.
“YUVA KALA BHARATHI”, a prestigious title was awarded to Ramh in 1996 by Bharat Kalachar of Chennai. He is an “A” grade artist in All India Radio for Vocal and Veena music.
Besides Vocal music, Ramh has been receiving training in Veena from his Guru, Shri.Lalgudi.G.Jayaraman. He has been giving Veena duet concerts along with his younger sister, Shrimathi.Pavithra Mahesh who also had the privilege of learning under Shri.Lalgudi.G.Jayaraman.
Ramh had an extensive tour of United States of America and Canada in the year 1994. He gave recitals in various cities of North America. He was the lead singer in the Operatic Ballet “Jaya Jaya Devi” composed by Shri.Lalgudi G.Jayaraman.
Ramh was invited again in the United States and Canada for Vocal concerts in the year 1998. Concerts that he delivered at London in the years 1998, 1999 and 2003 were well received!
A special ballet titled “Pancha lingeswaram”, narrative of Siva Temples of Sri Lanka, was enacted in London in which Ramh was the lead-singer. Again, the musical scores were composed by Shri.Lalgudi G.Jayaraman.
He has performed in Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Germany and Singapore.
The Music Academy of Chennai awarded certificates of merit for RAAGA ELABORATION in the first year, then, for KALPANA SWARAS the next year and in the third year honoured him as the BEST CONCERT SINGER for the chosen category! Ramh has been recorded by all the leading audio-recording institutions. HMV, Sangeetha, Inreco, AVM Audio, Vani, Dream Audio, Kalavardhini are a few to name.
Kalaimamani Embar S. Kannan passed out from Jawahar Vidyalaya in 1990.
Born to Sangeetha Bhooshanam, Sri Embar Sadagopan and Smt. Padmasani
Sadagopan.
His initial training was with Sri Subbanna Bhagavatar and then Sri Vittal
Ramamurthy and advanced training from Padmashree Kumari A. Kanyakumari.
He has played innumerable concerts with his Guru Padmashree Kumari
A.Kanyakumari.
Recipient of various awards including Kalaimamani Award from the Government
of Tamil Nadu in 2009, “Shanmukhanandha Sangeetha Shiromani” from
Shanmukhanandha Sangeetha Sabha, Mumbai in the year 2009, “Yuva Puraskar”
Bismillah Khan Award instituted by Sangeeth Nataka academy, New Delhi in the year
2010 to name a few.
The Madras Academy has conferred on him the Best Violinist Awards 16 times.
He is an A-Top artist of All India Radio.
He continues to accompany leading vidwans and vidushis.
He is also adept in Western music and is the founder of the fusion ensemble ‘Cross
Roads’.
He regularly plays for the film industry and has been a part of Maestro Ilayaraja’s
Orchestra.Kalaimamani Embar S. Kannan passed out from Jawahar Vidyalaya in 1990.
Born to Sangeetha Bhooshanam, Sri Embar Sadagopan and Smt. Padmasani
Sadagopan.
His initial training was with Sri Subbanna Bhagavatar and then Sri Vittal
Ramamurthy and advanced training from Padmashree Kumari A. Kanyakumari.
He has played innumerable concerts with his Guru Padmashree Kumari
A.Kanyakumari.
Recipient of various awards including Kalaimamani Award from the Government
of Tamil Nadu in 2009, “Shanmukhanandha Sangeetha Shiromani” from
Shanmukhanandha Sangeetha Sabha, Mumbai in the year 2009, “Yuva Puraskar”
Bismillah Khan Award instituted by Sangeeth Nataka academy, New Delhi in the year
2010 to name a few.
The Madras Academy has conferred on him the Best Violinist Awards 16 times.
He is an A-Top artist of All India Radio.
He continues to accompany leading vidwans and vidushis.
He is also adept in Western music and is the founder of the fusion ensemble ‘Cross
Roads’.
He regularly plays for the film industry and has been a part of Maestro Ilayaraja’s
Orchestra.
Vanipriya Jayaraman passed out from Jawahar Vidyalaya in 2002, and is
one of the sought-after leaders in the Technology Product Management space
in India. With many credits to her name as an entrepreneur, she is currently
leading a business entity in Exotel, as the Director of Co-Creation. Prior to
Exotel, she set-up and ran FPS Innovation Solutions in India, serving as its
Country Head. She is a very proud entrepreneur having started multiple startups
including Prayojana, The Code Place and Zeekh.
After completing school, Vanipriya joined MOP Vaishnav College to pursue
her undergraduate degree in Mathematics. With an intent to pursue a career in
Music/Media, Vanipriya also pursued a double degree in Visual
Communication at the Annamalai University, and followed that up with a
Certificate course from the University of Madras. Vanipriya in her own words
says that “If I weren’t delivering technology products, I would have been
pursuing a career of music performing in some form or fashion”. Destiny
beckoned, Vanipriya entered SVCE to pursue her Masters in Computer
Applications. While entrepreneurship has always been the way to pursue, these
skills helped Vanipriya kick start her small boutique website development
brand Ideas UnLtd while still at college. She also started Maarga, a musicaleducation
initiative which is still running successfully as one of the premium
Carnatic music organizations in the city.
Despite attracting offers from multiple top-tier organisations on campus, Vanipriya took up an offer with a start-up called Laser words, where the learning was priceless, and this led Vanipriya to found Proyojana – a product start-up, where she spearheaded building multiple products. During this time Vanipriya also was chosen as Goldman Sachs Women Entrepreneur, winning herself the distinction of being one of the top women entrepreneurs in the country chosen to undergo business education at one of the premium institutes in the country, Indian School of Business.
Since then, Vanipriya has run The Code Place, which is niche technology services company that has worked on some of the top projects on Indian media. Reality game shows like Connexions (Vijay TV, Maa, Survarna), Divided (Vijay TV) were all technically architected and executed by Vanipriya. Following this Vanipriya also founded Zeekh, which is a lifestyle-based event management app. This was chosen by many publications as the top-apps to follow especially during the music season in Chennai.
Away from work, Vanipriya writes and talks regularly at various events and forums on topics ranging from entrepreneurship, women empowerment, women in product I tech, product management, technology trends, and also on various topics on inclusion and diversity. Vanipriya has also pursued music seriously, and performs. Carnatic Music on electric guitar. She has also composed music for a documentary, performing on National television multiple times.
Some of her awards and appreciations include being recognised as an alumni achiever at both MOP Vaishnav and Sri Venkateswara College of Engineering, Yuva Sakthi Young Achiever and was also recently inducted into the Board of Studies at MOP Vaishnav college.
“JV was the only school I went to – from LKG to 12th. So, it is the only place I knew of outside home during my child hood, and it has had an immense impact on me till date. From the amount of extra-curriculars to all the curriculum that was taught, it provided me with well-rounded learning and I could always display my talent in all ways possible. While this has become the norm now, it was one of those rare institutions that did not push the students into a siloed outlook of academics only even back then. I wish every student at JV an amazing journey ahead!”.
INTERNATIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS IN CHESS:
❖ I am G. Akash, I have passed out of Jawahar Vidyalaya School, Chennai in the
year 2011.
❖ Awarded Grandmaster Title by FlDE in 2020.
❖ Winner of Prague International Chess Open 2020 and Qualified for Prague
International Chess challengers 2021 held at Prague, Czech.
❖ Winner of Bronshoj Chess Open 2020 finished 1.5 points ahead of the
Competitors held at Copenhagen, Denmark.
❖ Silver medal in Shanghai cooperation organization 2020 online team
Championship representing INDIA (Board 2).
❖ Winner of Feffernitz international Chess Championship 2019 held at Feffernitz,
Austria.
❖ Winner of Balaton Grand master Chess Tournament 2019 and finished 2.5
ahead of the competitors held at Hungary, Lake Balaton.
❖ Gold medal in Commonwealth Junior 2013 held at Port Elizabeth, South Africa.
❖ International Master Title by FIDE in 2012.
❖ Silver medal in Commonwealth Under 18 2012 held at Chennai, India.
❖ Bronze medal in Commonwealth Junior 2015 held at Delhi, India.
❖ Best performing Indian in World Juniors 2015 tied for 5th place held at Khanty-
Mansiysk, Russia.
❖ Winner of 4th Modern International Fide rating chess tournament 2011 held at
Chennai, India.
❖ Runner of 3rd Modern International Fide rating chess tournament 2010 held
at Chennai, India.
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:
• 66th Chess Grandmaster of INDIA.
• National chess champion in 20l2, holding National Record for becoming Youngest National Champion breaking Viswanathan Anand’s previous record.
• Represented India in the World cup and drew with World Championship Challenger Fabiano Caruana in the first game & Represented in the Asian championship.
• Represented India in 15+ countries.
• Felicitated by N. Mahalingam former President of AICF and TNSCA, founder and Chairman of SAKTHI groups.
• Silver Medalist in National Chess Championship 2019 held at Sikkim.
• Honored as ‘BEST SPORTS PERSON’ of the school in Jawahar Higher Secondary.
I am Sumithra Prakash, 1987 batch passed out from Jawahar Vidyalaya.
After that did my college studies at Meenakshi, PGDCM at AM Jain. Got married
in 1996. I worked at Chennai Port Hospital from 1997 to 2012. Took a special
VRS in Nov 2012, due to personal issues. I am a cancer survivor. My willpower,
love for my son helped me to fight out the problem. I am counselling many
patients ever since, giving awareness and instilling positivity in them to face life
boldly. Helping my hubby in our family business. We have a men’s garments
shop.
I joined FB in November 2012. Cooking has always been my passion. Have
my blog sumithraskitchen.wordpress.com where I post recipes of my
ancestors, my innovative ones. I am also an admin of a face book group “World
of Women”. It’s a group consisting of nearly 1500 members, where we post our
day to day preparations, special dishes and discuss about health issues,
general matters too. Ever thankful to all our teachers for bringing out the best
in us.
