Union Commerce and Industry minister, Piyush Goyal, will be among the four recipients of the 26th South Indian Education Society (SIES)’s Sri Chandrendra Saraswati National Eminence Award.
The Sri Chandrendra Saraswati National Eminence Award
The awards are given in four fields of human endeavour: public leadership; community leadership; science and technology, and social leadership with primacy on spiritualism. The awards are named after the late 68th Seer of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam Sri Chandrasekarendra Saraswathi.
Goyal, who has been in public service for several decades, is a chartered accountant and lawyer. He has been a cabinet minister for nine years, heading ministries like coal, power, railways, and mines. SIES said that Goyal has been instrumental in keeping Indian trade robust despite global headwinds. The Preferential Trade Agreements with developed countries have opened up opportunities for Indian entrepreneurs, paving the way for the Indian economy to be the world’s third-largest by 2030, the organisation said.
Other awardees
Other awardees are Professor Anurag Behar, educationist and founder vice-chancellor of Azim Premji University, Professor Urbasi Sinha, a leading researcher in the field of quantum technology, and Upanyaskar Dushyant Sridhar. The award carries a cash prize, a citation, and other gifts.
Behar played a crucial role in the formulation of the National Education Policy 2020, the National Curricular Framework, and Jaadui Pitara, a learning and teaching forum for the early stage of school education. Sinha, a professor in Light and Matter, is putting India in the world of satellite quantum communication, said SIES. Dushyant Sridhar’s study of the scriptures and his discourses make him popular among the young.
In last 25 years, 100 outstanding persons awarded
Dr V. Shankar, president of SIES, said that in the last 25 years, the awards have been given to 100 outstanding persons, including seven foreigners who have espoused the cause of Indian culture in their home countries and beyond. These awardees included three former Presidents of India, three Prime Ministers, two vice-presidents, two speakers of Lok Sabha, four Governors, five Chief Ministers, and five Bharat Ratnas.
The awards will be presented on December 16, at the Sri Shanmukhananda Chandrasekharendra Saraswati Auditorium, Sion. This ceremony is part of Sri Kanchi Mahaswami festival.
