Rajalakshmi Parthasarathy
Encyclopedia
Rajalakshmi Parthasarathy (b. November 8, 1925), popularly known as Mrs. Y. G. P. is an Indian journalist, educationist and social worker. She is the founder and dean of the P. S. B. B. Group of Institutions.
family on November 8, 1925. Parthasarathy was an employee of Burmah Shell Limited and was a son of the Indian independence activist T. Rangachari
. She studied in St. John's School and Holy Cross College, Madras and did her post graduation in journalism
from Madras University in 1947. Later, she completed her M. Ed and acquired a master's degree in history
from the University of Madras
.
and Tamil-weekly Kumudam
. She, however, quit her job after marriage and started the school Padma Seshadri Bala Bhavan
in 1958.
and named it Padma Seshadri Bala Bhavan in deference to the wishes of one of its benefactors R. M. Seshadri who expressed his wish for the school to be named after his wife. The next year, the school acquired its own building. In 1971, the school established its first branch, the T. P. Road Junior School. Since then, the school has grown maifold and in 2009, comprised five branches with over 8,000 students and 500 staff members. Rajalakshmi has been serving as the Dean and Director of the school since its inception in 1958.
As Dean and Director of Padma Seshadri Bala Bhavan, Rajalakshmi is credited with having contributed immensely to the cause of education in India and setting quality standards. She is also acclaimed for her contributions to the CBSE system.
, India's fourth highest civil honour for her contribution to literature and education.
is a popular Tamil film and stage actor.
Early life
Rajalakshmi was born in Madras to Parthasarathy and Alamelu in a Vaishnavite BrahminIyengar
Iyengar or Ayyangar is a caste given to Hindu Brahmins of Tamil origin who follow the Visishtadvaita philosophy propounded by Sri Ramanujacharya. They are found mostly in Tamil Nadu as they are generally native to the Tamil Nadu state of the Republic of India...
family on November 8, 1925. Parthasarathy was an employee of Burmah Shell Limited and was a son of the Indian independence activist T. Rangachari
T. Rangachari
Diwan Bahadur T. Rangachari CIE was an Indian lawyer, politician, journalist, legislator and Indian independence activist.- Early life :...
. She studied in St. John's School and Holy Cross College, Madras and did her post graduation in journalism
Journalism
Journalism is the practice of investigation and reporting of events, issues and trends to a broad audience in a timely fashion. Though there are many variations of journalism, the ideal is to inform the intended audience. Along with covering organizations and institutions such as government and...
from Madras University in 1947. Later, she completed her M. Ed and acquired a master's degree in history
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
from the University of Madras
University of Madras
The University of Madras is a public research university in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. It is one of the three oldest universities in India...
.
Career
On completion of her graduation, Rajalakshmi worked as a journalist with The HinduThe Hindu
The Hindu is an Indian English-language daily newspaper founded and continuously published in Chennai since 1878. According to the Audit Bureau of Circulations, it has a circulation of 1.46 million copies as of December 2009. The enterprise employed over 1,600 workers and gross income reached $40...
and Tamil-weekly Kumudam
Kumudam
Kumudam is a Tamil language weekly magazines published in Chennai, India. The group also publishes other Tamil magazines including Kumudam Reporter, Kumudam Snehidi, Kumudam Bhakti, Kumudam Jothidam, Kumudam Theeranadhi. At the sametime kumudam group started a telugu spiritual magazine called...
. She, however, quit her job after marriage and started the school Padma Seshadri Bala Bhavan
Padma Seshadri Bala Bhavan
Padma Seshadri Bala Bhavan is a group of schools located in Chennai, India, Bangalore, India and in Coimbatore, India. The school was founded by Padmashree Awardee, Rajalakshmi Parthasarathy, also known as Dr.Mrs.Y.G.Parthasarathy an educationalist.-Branches:* Chennai** PSBB K.K.Nagar** PSBB...
in 1958.
Public life
In 1958, Rajalakshmi started a school with 13 students along with members of the Nungambakkam Ladies Recreation Club in a shed in the terrace of her house in NungambakkamNungambakkam
Nungambakkam is one of the wealthiest localities in the heart of Chennai, India's fourth largest metropolitan city. The neighborhood is abound with multi-national commercial establishments, important government offices, foreign consulates, sprawling educational institutions, shopping malls,...
and named it Padma Seshadri Bala Bhavan in deference to the wishes of one of its benefactors R. M. Seshadri who expressed his wish for the school to be named after his wife. The next year, the school acquired its own building. In 1971, the school established its first branch, the T. P. Road Junior School. Since then, the school has grown maifold and in 2009, comprised five branches with over 8,000 students and 500 staff members. Rajalakshmi has been serving as the Dean and Director of the school since its inception in 1958.
As Dean and Director of Padma Seshadri Bala Bhavan, Rajalakshmi is credited with having contributed immensely to the cause of education in India and setting quality standards. She is also acclaimed for her contributions to the CBSE system.
Honours
On January 26, 2010, Rajalakshmi was awarded the Padma ShriPadma Shri
Padma Shri is the fourth highest civilian award in the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan...
, India's fourth highest civil honour for her contribution to literature and education.
Family
Rajalakshmi married playwright and dramatist Yechan Gunja Parthasarathy. Their son Y. Gee. MahendraY. Gee. Mahendra
Yechan Gunja Mahendran , popularly known as Y. G. Mahendran or Y. Gee. Mahendra, is an Indian dramatist, actor, singer playwright and comedian from the state of Tamil Nadu. He has acted in a number of plays and films. He is the son of Y. G...
is a popular Tamil film and stage actor.