Rajasthani-Tamil Seva Awards presented – The Hindu

Two institutions and three personalities who contributed to the social and cultural development of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry received the Rajasthani-Tamil Seva Awards 2026 on Sunday.

The recipients of the awards include Sudha Seshayyan (Academic leader, physician, and cultural polymath), B. Sargurunathan (Chief Othuvar and custodian of saivite musical heritage), Payir Trust (Pioneer in Holistic Rural Transformation), K. R. Raja (Advocate, Reformer, and Social Architect) and Public Health Centre, West Mambalam (An Enduring Legacy of Community-Driven Healthcare).

Speaking at the event, Supreme Court Judge R. Mahadevan, who was the chief guest, said the society which honours its citizens for extraordinary services would be acclaimed globally.

Pointing to the efforts of awardees to serve the society, Justice Mahadevan said: “It is a good idea to focus on strengthening the villages for national growth and development. It is an honour for the Rajasthani Association to recognise institutions that seek to conserve 800 water bodies, protects indigenous crops, and provides nutrition for 35,000 children.”

This year, the jury panel screened over 200 nominations to select five awardees which included individuals and institutions, who embody integrity, commitment, and sustained social impact. Each recipient of the award was honoured with a citation, a medal, and a cash prize of ₹2 lakh each.

Jury panel

The distinguished Jury Panel included: Chairman: S. Gurumurthy (Editor, Thuglak), N. Ravi (Director, Kasturi and Sons Ltd.), Padma Vibhushan Dr. Padma Subrahmanyam (Renowned Bharatanatyam Exponent), Prof. E. Balagurusamy (Former Vice-Chancellor, Anna University), Sugalchand Jain (Eminent Philanthropist, and Founder-Chairman, Bhagwan Mahaveer Foundation).

Narendra Srisrimal, president of the association, also spoke. The Rajasthani Association Tamil Nadu was established in 1967.