Sri R.Venkataraman, M.A., B.L., the Honorable Former President of India was the Chief Patron of our School. The First Rank holders in each department – Computer Science, Biology and Accounts receive cash award from our Chief Patron every academic year. He also offers his best wishes and blessings to the Management, Principal, Staff and Students with his commendation for the best results in the Board examinations. Sri R. Venkataraman was perhaps the last of the public servants who came out of the Congress state in the Old Madras Presidency and who distinguished themselves at the national level. He was in league with stalwarts like C. Rajagopalachari, T.T. Krishnamachari, Kamraj and C. Subramanium. Born on December 4, 1910 in Thanjavur district in Tamil Nadu, Mr. Venkataraman had his early education locally and later in Madras from where he obtained his master’s degree in Economics. He qualified in Law from the Law college, Madras, and was enrolled in the High Court, Madras in1935 and in the Supreme Court in 1951. He held the portfolios of Industries, Labour, Cooperation, Power, Transport and Commercial Taxes from 1957 to 1967. In his long and distinguished political career spanning more than four decades, he served in key positions with the International Monetary Fund and the Asian Development Bank. He was a delegate to the U.N. General Assembly in 1953, 1955, 1956, 1958, 1960 and 1961. He led the Indian delegation to the 42nd session of the International Labour Conference in Geneva in1958 and represented India in the Inter Parliamentary Conference in Vienna in 1978. Mr. Venkatraman, who was elevated from Vice – Presidency, assumed the office of President on July 25, 1987 and his term lasted till July 25, 1992. Earlier, as Minister in the Union Cabinet, he held the portfolios of Defence and Finance. He was also Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission. President Pratibha Devisingh Patil said Mr. Venkatraman was a true patriot who served the nation with distinction in various capacities in public life, and rose to occupy the highest office. A true believer in the Gandhi – Nehru tradition, he always remained a stickler for rules. He published his biography “My Presidential Years” after his Rashtrapati Bhavan tenure was over.

– Courtesy “The Hindu”