The Indian arm of  Vision 2020, the global initiative towards eliminating avoidable blindness instituted the ‘Sri SN Shah Award’ for Equity:  to provide comprehensive primary eye care screenings with a focus on women and children, in year 2013 towards recognizing ‘equity of eye care services to women and children’ and to honour institutions dispensing excellent eye services to this vulnerable group. The award for year 2019 was conferred on Sankara Nethralaya in recognition of the significant contribution to preventing and treating childhood blindness by the Elite School of Optometry, its academic arm. The ESO-SN community outreach teams under Dr Anuradha Narayanan Program in-charge – School Children Eye Health, Sankara Nethralaya and Vision Screening Coordinator – Elite School of Optometry carry out massive cost free eye screening of children from the socially and economically backward sections of society living in remote villages by conducting a large number of eye screening camps in rural schools. These camps are a boon to children living in the backward regions of the country to whom school screening is the only access to quality eye care, children found with refractive errors are dispensed with cost free glasses and those needing ophthalmic intervention are referred to the base hospital for cost free treatment.  It would be noteworthy to mention here that the SN-ESO joint effort towards screening this delicate group has found its pride of place in the ‘Limca Book of Records’ for the largest number of school children screened in a single day.

The Sri SN Shah award for equity, consisting of a cash prize of INR 10,000 and a citation were presented by His Excellency Banwarilal Purohit, the Honourable Governor of Tamil Nadu, at the 15^th Vision 2020 conference held on the 8^th of June 2019, at the Arvind Eye Hospital, Chennai and received on behalf of Sankara Nethralaya by Dr Anuradha  Narayanan.

The annual Hands-on-summer training programme (13thMay and 31st May 2019) was conducted by the Vidyasagar Institute of Bio-Medical Science (VIBS), a unit of Medical Research Foundation (MRF) with an objective of imparting real time knowledge and experience on advanced techniques in their chosen fields of Microbiology, Genetics and Biochemistry. A total of 19 candidates, (7 in R.S. Mehta Jain Department of Biochemistry & Cell Biology, 6 each in SN ONGC Genetics & Molecular Biology and L & T Microbiology Research Centre) underwent training under this program. The  participants were from Stella Maris College, Chennai (5), Women’s Christian College, Chennai (2),Vels University, Chennai(1),Rajalakshmi Engineering College, Chennai (5), Jeppiaar Engineering College, Chennai (1), V.O.Chidambaram College, Manonmaniam Sundaranar University, Tuticorin (1), Bharath Institute of Higher Education and Research (BIHER), Chennai (2), Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT) University, Vellore (1) and Chettinad Hospital and Research Institute, Chennai (1).

The Valedictory function was conducted on 31st May 2019 at 3pm at the Lecture Hall, Ist Floor KNBIRVO Building.  Dr.H.N.Madhavan, Director of VIBS was the Chief Guest for the function. Dr.K. Lily Therese ( VIBS – Co-ordinator) welcomed the participants and the function started with a prayer song by Ms.Harshavardhini from Genetics department. Dr.H.N.Madhavan addressed the participants and appreciated the interest of the participants in learning the various techniques. Dr. K Lily Therese updated the attendees on the activities of VIBS till May 2019 in a detailed manner, she gratefully acknowledged the faculty scientists and technical staff involved in training the students and the management of Vision Research Foundation & Medical Research Foundation for providing the facility and the Founder of VIBS, Late Padmashri Iravatham Mahadevan, IAS, for providing the wonderful opportunity to train the Post graduate students from various Science & Arts Colleges & Research Institutions. The HODs from the respective departments who imparted the training shared their experience and appreciated the enthusiasm and involvement with which the participants learnt the techniques they were taught. The participants performed well in the evaluation conducted at the end of the program by all three departments.  They (one representative from each dept) gave a good feedback on the training programme and assured to impart the knowledge and skills they acquired to their juniors and colleagues in their respective colleges. Dr.Sinnakaruppan Mathavan, Dr.N. Angayarkanni and Dr.H.N.Madhavan, distributed the certificates to the successful candidates.

The function came to an end with a warm Vote of Thanks by Dr.K. Lily Therese, Programme Co-ordinator, VIBS. The function ended with high tea and a group photograph at the entrance of the KNBIRVO building.