Meenakshi College for Women (Autonomous)
Kodambakkam, Chennai 600 024
(Affiliated to the University of Madras)
Dr. K. S. Lakshmi
Secretary
PMJF Ln. Dr. K. S. Lakshmi undoubtedly ranks as one of the truly outstanding personalities in the arenas of education and social service. Her life’s mission has been to convert her lofty and noble ideals into reality and thereby light up the lives of thousands of families.
Strength of will, warmth of heart, courage of mind and infinite capacity for hard work are qualities that have served Dr. Lakshmi well as she nurtured Meenakshi College right from its inception.
Several are the awards and accolades that have been heaped on her and numerous, the obstacles, and yet none made her complacent or defeated. She journeys on untiringly for the College, strving to make it scale greater heights.
A Teacher
Dr. K. S. Lakshmi has had an illustrious career as a teacher of Physics. At home with students, she has made it a point to teach in spite of her other responsibilities. She particularly relishes teaching the General and Special Theories of Relativity, Dynamics and Radiation Physics.
Being a committed teacher, research too formed a very important part of her career. She has taken up the initiative and leadership of several prestigious research projects in collaboration with IGCAR, Kalpakkam and key projects funded by BRNS- DAE. In fact, her findings from the study of natural background environmental radiation in and around the Kudangulam Nuclear Power Plant were quoted in the Indian Parliament.
An Educationist
She is a colossus in the field of education, popular for her insistence on discipline and immense concern for the well-being of students. It is under her watch that Meenakshi College would bag every gold medal in the University examinations year and after. She has worked relentlessly for several decades to build the brand that is Meenakshi College, known for its commitment to academics and discipline.
She also established two prestigious institutions in the KRS Campus - Meenakshi Sundararajan Engineering College and Meenakshi Sundararajan School of Management, which straightaway started bagging many University ranks and laurels in a short span of time.
She has, by her sincerity, dedication, keen perception, attention to detail, excellent planning and neat execution of plans, made the KRS Campus the campus of choice, be it in the Arts, the Sciences, Commerce, Engineering or Management Studies.
A Philanthropist
She has been a very active and committed member of Lions Clubs International for several decades, and has served as the District Governor of District 324 A1. Numerous are the projects that she has personally spearheaded and continues to work for with a missionary zeal. SHe has founded many Lions Clubs including Campus Lions Clubs and instills the spirit of service in the students of the College.
Under her watch and guidance, the College adopted a Chennai (Corporation) School, and works in close collaboration with the school authorities to provide various facilities and conduct events for the students.
She has instituted several scholarships for needy, meritorious students from other colleges in Chennai apart from students of Meenakshi College.
A Patron of the Arts & Indian Culture
She has constructed a beautiful temple housing shrines for Sringeri Sri Sharadamba, the Goddess of Learning, Sri Vidya-Ganapati and Sri Venkateswara, inside the college campus. With a heart full of love and dedication, she took up the onerous task of renovating the existing temple that was earlier built by her father Shri KRS, and paid personal attention to every minute detail concerned with this great task. The consecration of this temple was performed by the Shankaracharya of Sringeri, Jagadguru Sri Bharathi Theertha Mahaswamigal in June 2012. In appreciation of her unstinted devotion to the Supreme, the Jagadguru Himself awarded Dr. Lakshmi the title, "Sharada Bhakta-Mani (Gem amongst the devotees of Sharada)".
She has established the Meenakshi Sundararajan Fine Arts Academy in the KRS Campus through which a fortnight-long Fine Arts Festival is organized every December. Apart from students, the fine arts lovers of Chennai throng the campus in December to partake of the feast for the soul offered by leading musicians and dancers who perform at the festival every year.