Education Evangelist Saidai S Duraisamy

This particular episode of Education Evangelist of India features Saidai S. Duraisamy, Chairman of the Manidhanaeyam Charitable Trust. Also, the former mayor of Chennai, Duraisamy is one of the country’s foremost education visionaries.

Education Evangelist of India Season 3 is an initiative by Great Place to Study that acknowledges and features some of the stalwarts of education in India. The show highlights the achievements and contribution of these exemplary leaders and showcases them on a platform they deserve.

In an interactive and engaging discussion with host Chetan Bhagat, Saidai S. Duraisamy humbly explained how his Trust facilitates academic and hostel expenditures to hundreds of students from rural and tribal areas every year, in an effort to provide higher education to these kids, including fields such as Engineering and Medicine.

On this episode of Education Evangelist of India (EEI), we get to learn how Duraisamy’s foundation MNT (Manidhanaeyam Charitable Trust) works tirelessly towards providing free service and education to socially marginalised people. Duraisamy’s high esteem for education and his regard for how it uplifts the marginalised is reflected in the tasks undertaken by MNT. In the last fourteen years, Duraisamy’s foundation has rendered free tuition services for aspirants of Indian Civil Service and other major competitive entrance exams along with boarding facilities to more than a lakh students from economically weaker sections.

About S. Duraisamy:

68 year-old Saidai S. Duraisamy hails from the karur District in Tamil Nadu and established the Manidhanaeyam Charitable Trust in 2005. For his philanthropic activities for over 3 decades, Duraisamy was elected Mayor of Greater Chennai City in 2011. Without drawing any salary, allowance or special privileges, Duraisamy has been a humble man serving the best interests of the society.

The former mayor’s impressive portfolio also features the establishment of a marriage hall and a medicine store that provides free service to more than 5000 families. The marriage hall in Velachery, Chennai, is given to wedding parties free of cost, irrespective of caste, creed, or religion. The Medical Store at Saidapet provides generic medicine supplied by the Government of India under the Prime Minister Jan Aushadhi Scheme.

Manidhanaeyam Charitable Trust feeds hygienic and quality food to thousands of students who are also provided with free boarding and coaching facilities. More than five thousand students trained by MNT have entered All India and State Civil Services, nationalised banks, police service, etc.

For his contributions to the field of education, Duraisamy has received multiple recognitions. He was conferred with an Honorary Doctorate by the Sri Lanka Open University at a conference on mayors promoting naturopathy. Duraisamy’s philanthropic activities even brought him to a private dinner at the Buckingham Palace, Hosted by Charles, Prince of Wales..

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