Dr. G.Viswanathan, Founder and Chancellor of Vellore Institute of Technology, has been bestowed with the Jeevan Gaurav Puraskar – Lifetime Award for remaining an inspiring teacher throughout and for Teaching, Research and Institution Building by the National Teachers’ Congress and MIT World Peace University, Pune. The award ceremony took place at the 3rd Global National Teachers’ Congress held at MIT World Peace University, Kothrud, Pune on Sunday, January 6.

The Lifetime award is the latest feather in the cap of noted educationist, former Parliamentarian and former Minister in the Tamil Nadu Government, Dr. G. Viswanathan, who has been instrumental in creating and nurturing Vellore Institute of Technology as one of India’s finest higher educational institution providing engineering, management, legal, agriculture and arts and science education to young women and men, especially economically weaker sections from all over India.

A citation, signed by Anil Kakodkar, renowned Atomic Energy Scientist and Founding Patron of National Teachers’ Congress, R.A.Mashelkar, President of the Congress and National Research Professor and Eminent Scientist and Dr. Vishwanath Karad , Founder of MIT World Peace University recognised Dr. Viswanathan’s recognition and appreciation of his momentous contribution as a Visionary Academic Leader.

The citation listed out the exemplary career, political, academic and public life of Dr. Viswanathan and also noted: “You are an academic leader with an unending thirst for knowledge that makes you strive harder and achieve various milestones.”

The 3rd National Teachers’ Congress was supported by the Government of Maharashtra, All India Council for Technical Education and UNESCO Chair for Human Rights among other reputed institutions.

A National Teachers’ Congress, was founded in the year 2016, to inspire the teaching community of under-graduate and post-graduate colleges from across the nation and form other countries, has gained active support of Union Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India, Ministry of Higher & Technical Education, Government of Maharashtra, Association of Indian University (AIU), National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) and the UNESCO Chair of Human Rights, Democracy, Peace and Tolerance, Pune. Devendra Fadnavis, Chief Minister of Maharashtra is the Patron. Over 5,000 renowned teachers from all disciplines and from all over the country took part. The theme of the Congress was “Leap-Frogging to a Future Ready Higher Education.”