Expressnews
Chennai: The second edition of the Rajasthani-Tamil Seva Awards took place on February 8, 2026, at the Taj Connemara in Chennai. Hosted by the Rajasthani Association Tamilnadu, the event celebrated the long-standing cultural and economic integration of the Rajasthani community, which has been active in the region for over 180 years. The awards were established to honor individuals and institutions whose selfless contributions have significantly impacted the social and cultural landscape of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, reflecting the spirit of “Yadhum Oore Yavarum Kelir”—the Tamil ideal that all people are kin.
The selection process was highly rigorous, with a distinguished jury panel—including notable figures like Shri S. Gurumurthy and Shri N. Ravi—evaluating over 200 nominations. Ultimately, five awardees were selected based on their integrity and sustained social impact. Each recipient was recognized with a citation, a medal, and a cash prize of Rs. 2 Lakhs. This initiative highlights the association’s ongoing commitment to social welfare and its deep-rooted connection to the growth and development of the state since its founding in 1967.
The maiden – Rajasthani-Tamil Seva Awards 2025:
The inaugural Rajasthani-Tamil Seva Awards 2025 successfully institutionalized a platform for recognizing ethical leadership and long-term social contributions born from the shared values of the Rajasthani and Tamil communities. Formally launched in late 2024 by Justice C. Saravanan and Shri Shantilal Jain, the primary ceremony was held on March 16, 2025, under the leadership of then Chief Justice K.R. Shriram, establishing a high benchmark for integrity and professional dignity. The first edition honored four distinguished recipients for their transformative impact: Dr. Irai Anbu for public service, C.D. Sanath Kumar for his 35-year legacy in education, M. Yoganathan (The Tree Man of India) for environmental sustainability, and the Swami Vivekananda Rural Development Society for its holistic social welfare initiatives.
Speech by The Chief Guest – Justice R.Mahadevan, Judge, Supreme Court of India:
“A society which is honouring its citizens those who rendered their extraordinary services in the respective fields which is the real society which is acclaimed globally. That is none other than Rajasthani Association. I feel very happy & honoured to participate in Rajasthani-Tamil Seva Awards. Honouring the ‘son of the soil’ is considered one of the most delightful things, as opined by many others. A goodness of the nation is attained when progress reaches its rural villages and as we create progress in the rural villages, it improves the livelihood of people, etc. We need to conserve our water bodies such as rivers, lakes, ponds, etc and speak about the importance of agriculture, farmers etc. The aim and efforts on feeding nutritious food to over 35,000 children, conservation of 800 plus water bodies, supporting 7000 plus students in rural villages I am very much honoured to handing over the award to Payir Trust. Each and every awardees today are very thoughtfully selected by Rajasthani Association Tamilnadu’s Jury and I wish them all the success in the years to come. Thank you for inviting me to the Award function”
Guest of Honour & Jury Member – N.Ravi, Former Editor-in-Chief, The Hindu in his speech:
“It has been an honour to be a part of the Jury of Rajasthani-Tamil Seva Awards. As you know people from Rajasthan have moved into several parts of the country and became part of the society, in regions whether its Kolkata or Mumbai or here in Tamilnadu. Yet, they have maintained a distinctive culture, one of the significant aspects of the culture is philanthropy and compassion. It is in the spirit of giving that they established education, medical and other social service institutions to serve the broader community here in Tamilnadu. The Rajasthani-Tamil Seva Awards marks a major milestone in the integration of Rajasthani community into the social fabric of Tamilnadu. To have gone all over the state to sought out organisations and individuals serving the community in the field of education, health, agriculture, sustainability and to recognise them with awards are indeed commendable. The chairman of the Jury, S.Gurumurthy is away and I, being a member of the Jury representing him in his absence. My colleagues in the jury are doyens of arts, science, industry and philanthropy. The process began in inviting and collecting entries to the awards through nominations. A screening committee went through all the nominations and shortlisted it systematically awarding marks for their work assessing impact to the wider community, consistency in performance and other aspects. The screened entries finally came to the jury and we found they were from all parts of the state. The task of choosing and finalising was extremely difficult. Our honourable Justice R.Mahadevan knows with his experience in the High Court and now at the Apex Court as to how difficult it is to arrive at a decision when the arguments are evenly balanced. All the decisions were taken unanimously and I am also thankful to the members of the jury for their voice and considerate view. It was in this spirit that we have arrived at a final decision of the awardees.”
Narendra Srisrimal, President of the Rajasthani Association Tamil Nadu, stated, “We are proud to recognize deserving individuals. Our association will continue to carry forward these awards in the coming years to honor the people of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.”
CA Anil Kicha, Convenor, Rajasthani-Tamil Seva Awards 2026, said, “The selection process for the awardees is one of the finest procedures we have followed. Starting with inviting nominations from the public and organizations across the state, a Shortlisting Committee reviewed more than 200 applications received. Subsequently, a five-member jury led by S. Gurumurthy (Editor, Thuglak weekly) selected the final five awardees from eight different categories. Our association had no interference in the jury’s decision.”
Ajit Chordia, Chairman of the Rajasthani-Tamil Seva Awards 2026, highlights the deep-rooted connection of the third-generation Rajasthani community to Tamil Nadu and their commitment to giving back to the region that has fostered their success. While the community has a long history of philanthropy, Chordia emphasizes that these awards introduce a systematic, jury-led process to honor deserving individuals and institutions across Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. By formalizing this recognition, the community aims to celebrate excellence and strengthen its bonds with its adopted home, offering sincere congratulations to all recipients for their vital contributions to society.
