“We celebrate our founding because the seeds of what we are is lodged here. We are committed to the progressive education that will defy boundaries,” said L.Gopalakrishnan, Managing Trustee, PSG & Sons’ Charities at the Trust’s 96th Founders’ Day which is celebrated on 25th of January, every year.
This 95 year old charitable Trust runs all the PSG Institutions in Coimbatore. At the celebrations, the Trustees, Principals, Teachers, Doctors, Alumni, Students and members of PSG Family cherished the memory the Trust’s four founders – PSG Venkataswamy Naidu, PSG Rangaswamy Naidu, PSG Ganga Naidu and PSG Narayanaswamy Naidu.
In connection with this celebration, 7 accomplished alumni of various PSG Institutions were presented the Distinguished Alumni Award. The Chief Guest of this event was S.Mahalingam, Former CFO of Tata Consultancy Services and Honorary Consul of Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, Chennai.
The recipients of the Distinguished Alumni awards for this year were J.Ramanathan, MD, Newmen Group of Companies, Coimbatore (PSG Sarvajana School), V.Parthiban, MD, Bull Machines Pvt.Ltd., Coimbatore(PSG Polytechnic College), Vanathi Srinivasan, MLA, Coimbatore South Constituency (PSG CAS), Sudarsanam Suresh Babu, Professor, Dept. of Mechanical Engg., at the University of Tennessee, USA (PSG Tech), Dr.Sathyan Parthasarathi, Director, Sathyan Eye Care Hospital, (PSG IMSR), Ranji Cherian, President & Managing Partner, DDB Mudra Group, Bengaluru (PSG IM) and Dr.Nandini, Vice Principal, Aswini College of Nursing, Thrissur (PSG Nursing College)
Dr.T.M. Subba Rao in his welcome address underlined that the purpose of a charitable trust is to accomplish substantial social benefit for the public. PSG & Sons’ Charities embarked on this mission 96 years ago with a singular aim of nation building by supporting educational and entrepreneurial thought process. He took the opportunity to welcome all the distinguished alumni and the PSG Institutions family members to the program.
PSG’s contribution to Nation-Building is enormous
– L.Gopalakrishnan
The Managing Trustee said this is the most momentous day as the Trust honors the vision of the founders and reaffirm the philosophy of this great Institution – to impart quality education, which has been the guiding principle of the institutions to take form, grow and become an invincible reality in diverse fields of education, since 1926.
“With 32,000 students, 5000 employees across 29 institutions of PSG and equal number of alumni at any point of time, PSG’s contribution to nation-building is enormous,” he said.
He congratulated the services of the employees and students who rose up to meet the challenges created by the pandemic-induced tough times.
Serves all sections of society
– S.Mahalingam
The Chief Guest said that the book about PSG’s Founders ‘The Fifth Brother’ is a fascinating one and through it he recognized the full scale and the activities of this great Institution. He shared that he admires at the works done during the tenure of each Managing Trustee.
He recalled his early connection with PSG Institutions which was in 1976, for recruitment of trainees in TCS. At that time TCS decided to extend recruiting from leading Engineering institutions in India, and PSG Tech was at the top of the list, he said.
He appreciated how PSG had established strong linkage with industries and nourished innovation. He expressed that it is no exaggeration to say that PSG has been at the vanguard of national development for nearly a hundred years, as the Institutions equally serve all sections of society, provide best infrastructure, impart best education and provide best external connect.
Library opened doors of knowledge to me
– Vanathi Srinivasan
Vanathi Srinivasan expressed that the progress and development of Western Tamil Nadu is being spoken far and wide, in a proud manner.
“Western Tamil Nadu’s educational institutions, hospitals, MSMEs have grown strong today, and I firmly believe that PSG & Sons’ Charities played a major role in that, and I have shared this in many stages,” she shared.
Vanathi said that while we often hear the words ‘Corporate Social Responsibility’, ‘Giving Back to Society’ today, the founders of PSG had spread the spirit of charity, and stood by the side of righteousness 96 years ago.
She cherished how PSG CAS recognized her academic merits, and provided the opportunity to pursue her collegiate education, and shared how the Library at the college opened the world of knowledge to her. She credited her teachers for imparting discipline, the importance and value of education.
She thanked PSG for recognizing her as one of the flag bearers of what the institutions stand for, and she assured that she will strive to carry the legacy of PSG as its distinguished alumni responsibly.
Made me Self-Confident
– J.Ramanathan
“If it was not for PSG Educational Institutions, many like me would not have received even the basic education,” said J.Ramanathan, MD, Newmen Group of Companies, Coimbatore.
He shared that his entire education, from Primary School to collegiate education was with PSG Institutions. He added that PSG’s role in his elevation is phenomenal, and he offered his special thanks to the teachers of PSG who taught him to be self-confident. He said that it has been integral in his company’s progress, today.
The Credit goes to Founders!
– V.Parthiban
To everyone in my family, PSG is considered a temple, and to my father (AV Varadharajan), GRD (Dr.G.R.Damodaran) is no less than a God!” expressed V.Parthiban.
Bull Machines was a startup in 1997 with 7 people, today it is an innovation driven construction vehicle manufacturer with 1100 people, selling at 46 countries globally. ”All became possible due to the strong foundational learning, that I was fortunate to get from PSG”, he said.
He said 95% of his success came from the ecosystem which includes loving family, wonderful friends, thought provoking teachers, knowledge inquisitive forum, guiding mentors, vendors, employees, customers, and his role was just 5%.
He added that the PSG Founders are living with them in many ways, and a fitting tribute to the benevolence of Founders would be to give back to society, like how they did. Hence he announced that he shall be splitting 1/5th of his wealth to charity, to create a small organization for infusing problem solving skills and innovation skills to budding entre-preneurs.
“The ever-inspiring PSG Founders today made me commit myself to follow their footsteps of charity”, he shared.
Has made a difference!
– Prof.Sudarsanam Suresh Babu
Accepting the award, Prof.Sudarsanam thanked PSG for this honor, and recollected his time at PSG Tech. He gave credits to his teachers, classmates and all those who were a part of the 1982-86 batch. He thanked Prof.N.K.Srinivasan for his guidance, which he stressed has played a big role in what he is today.
He recalled how PSG Tech was already playing a big role in developing industries around the district when he was stepping into the institution. He expressed that in one way, the entire PSG Family has been responsible for his development, and he wished his alma mater to approach him with whatever things the institution and students would need, and consider him as another brother of PSG Family.
This Institution Shaped My Future
– Ranji Cherian
Looking at where he is today, Mr.Cherian thanked two entities – God and PSG. “My own career has been a commitment of a lifetime of change, of challenges and of opportunities,” he said.
Mr.Cherian shared that he was a Botany student, and he got a job at Tata Tea, and was about to go to an estate in Munaar for work. It was his father who guided him to take a new path. ”The institution really shaped my future. I still remember, I was never meant to join or be part of a creative world. My calling to pursue in creativity actually was born in PSG Tech,” he said.
A great Institution that builds nation
– Dr.Sathyan Parthasarathi
Dr.Sathyan opined that a great Institution builds not only people but nation. Such institutions develop its people by providing them many positive inputs, and PSG Institutions are among them.
“Since its establishment (PSG IMSR) in 1985, it has given birth to many world class doctors, for the society. Today it is one of the well-recognized premier medical institutes in our country. As an alumnus I can proudly say that I am a part of this wonderland”, he shared.
He thanked former Managing Trustee of PSG Institutions G.Varadaraj and his own family and friends for helping him achieve this and many other milestones.
He said this award will motivate him to work with greater vigour in the field of medicine.
It is a lifetime honor
– Dr.Nandini
Expressing her joy, she called this recognition as a lifetime honor. “Finding the right path to success at the right time is really very important, for that I had chosen PSG Institutions 26 years back for pursuing my graduation in Nursing in 1995”
She said that her time at PSG laid the foundation stone for her professional life. She expressed that PSG is more than just an academic institution; it denotes a culture of excellence and empowerment.
Thanking her teachers and Principal, she said that they had helped her to shape her personality and become a good human being.
She specially thanked Prof. Sarojam, Prof.Sherly Prakash, Prof.Latha Venkatesan and Prof.A.Jayasudha for being her mentor, and for making her strong as a professional today.
“I strongly believe that myself and all my classmate of 1995 batch left PSG with strong feelings about the college and the sense that we have found a unique identity.”