March 2025
Sankara Nethralaya Confers Sankara Ratna Award on S. Ramadorai; TN Minister Palanivel Thiagarajan Presents Award
Sankara Nethralaya conferred the prestigious Sankara Ratna Award on S. Ramadorai, former CEO and MD of Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), in recognition of his transformative contributions to nation-building. The award was presented by Tamil Nadu’s Minister for Information Technology and Digital Services, Dr. Palanivel Thiagarajan, at a ceremony held at Taj Coromandel, Chennai, on Thursday, March 27.
Instituted in 2002, the Sankara Ratna Award honors individuals who have demonstrated exceptional leadership and societal impact. Past recipients include industry stalwarts such as Ratan N. Tata, A.M. Naik, Deepak Parekh, and Madhavan Nair.
Dr. Thiagarajan lauded Ramadorai’s leadership, noting that under his tenure, TCS grew from a $155 million company to a $6 billion enterprise. “It is not a simple achievement, and such success stories are very rare. Only a special person would be able to accomplish that,” he said.
In his acceptance speech, Ramadorai acknowledged the Tata Group’s longstanding association with Sankara Nethralaya, citing Jamshedji Tata’s belief that businesses exist to serve the community. He credited the late Nani Palkhivala’s support for the institution’s establishment and highlighted TCS’s early contributions to hospital management systems, which laid the foundation for integrating technology into healthcare.
“As CEO of TCS, I had the privilege of partnering with Sankara Nethralaya to implement the Tata Hospital Management System and develop an advanced Ophthalmic Electronic Medical Record (EMR) system to enhance patient care,” Ramadorai said. He emphasized the need to expand world-class, affordable healthcare to remote regions of India.
Dr. T. S. Surendran Recognized for Healthcare Philanthropy at Humanitarian Awards 2025
Dr. T. S. Surendran, Chairman of Sankara Nethralaya, was honored with the Excellence in Healthcare Philanthropy award at the Humanitarian Awards 2025, held at the Sheraton Grand Chennai Resort and Spa.
Dr. Surendran, a veteran in ophthalmology, has dedicated his career to expanding access to quality eye care, particularly for underserved communities. Under his leadership, Sankara Nethralaya has strengthened its efforts in combating preventable blindness and providing advanced treatments to patients across India.
The Humanitarian Awards, curated by journalist and social activist Apsara Reddy, recognize individuals making significant contributions to social causes.
RC Madras Temple City Honors Dr. Nirmala Subramaniam with Lifetime Achievement Award
Dr. Nirmala Subramanian is a visionary leader in Education and Empowerment. Since 1985, she has served as the Correspondent of Ganapathy Iyer Girls High School, which serves students from economically weaker backgrounds, dedicating her life to women’s empowerment through education. She strongly believes that education is the most powerful tool for empowering women.
She established an endowment fund to support the education ofunderprivileged girls. Under the “Know Your Chennai” Project, herinitiative helps students understand the history, culture, andsignificance of their city. She initiated computer education 25 yearsago for both teachers and students. She was instrumental in settingup the school’s first computer lab with internet access, empowering first generation learners with digital literacy.
Spearheaded the creation of an endowment by the family members of Prof. V. Lakshminarayanan, her father, to promote scientific awareness and curiosity among students.
Dr. Nirmala Subramanian, a distinguished Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon, has been a pioneer in Cosmetic Surgery .With her strong academic foundation and extensive surgical expertise, she has played a pivotal role in advancing oculoplastyand aesthetic surgery in India. She was instrumental in establishing an exclusive Orbital and Reconstructive Surgery department at Sankara Nethralaya.as envisioned by Chairman Emeritus Dr. S. S. Badrinath . Thisdepartment diagnoses and treats congenital anomalies, traumaticinjuries, and tumors affecting the eyelids and orbit.
The Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes her lifelong dedication to society and her groundbreaking work as a pioneering surgeon and educationist, which has transformed the lives of generations of girls.
Sankara Nethralaya Hosts UVEA Case Festival 2025
The UVEA Team of Sankara Nethralaya, Chennai, successfully conducted the UVEA Case Festival – 2025 edition on February 22 and 23 at the V.D. Swami Auditorium, Dr. S.S. Badrinath Campus. The event featured Prof. Dr. Vishali Gupta from the Advanced Eye Center, Chandigarh, as the guest faculty.
The scientific program commenced on February 22 with a welcome address by Dr. Vinita Girish Rao, followed by the first session, which showcased a series of case studies. The expert panel for this session included Dr. Vishali Gupta, Dr. Jyotirmay Biswas, Dr. Muna Bhende, and Dr. Hemanandhini, with Dr. Amitabh Kumar and Dr. Arshree Ahmed serving as moderators. The session concluded with a lecture by Dr. Rupesh Agarwal on the role of artificial intelligence in uveitis.
The second session of the day featured additional case presentations, marking the conclusion of the first day’s proceedings.
On February 23, the second day of the event, another series of case presentations took place, with an expert panel comprising Dr. Vishali Gupta, Dr. Jyotirmay Biswas, and Dr. Chetan Rao. The session was moderated by Dr. Parthopratim Dutta Majumder and Dr. Suchitra Pradeep. Dr. Vishali Gupta then delivered a keynote address on “Deconstructing White Dot Syndromes.”
The event also included a felicitation ceremony, where the President of Sankara Nethralaya, Dr. Girish Shiva Rao, and Chairman, Dr. T.S. Surendran, honored Dr. Rajini Kantha N, who was the first to start uvea department in Sankara nethralaya
The final session featured case presentations with an expert panel comprising Dr. Vishali Gupta, Dr. Amala E. George, and Dr. Padmamalini M. The session was moderated by Dr. Vinita Girish Rao and Dr. Parthopratim Dutta Majumder.
The event concluded with a vote of thanks delivered by Dr. Suchitra Pradeep.
Sankara Nethralaya’s UVEA Case Festival 2025 served as a platform for experts to discuss advancements in the field, reinforcing the institution’s commitment to ophthalmic excellence.
Dr. M. S. Ravindra Delivers 2nd Dr. S. S. Badrinath Endowment Lecture at Sankara Nethralaya
Dr. M. S. Ravindra, Chairman and Managing Director of Karthik Netralaya, delivered the 2nd Dr. S. S. Badrinath Endowment Lecture at Sankara Nethralaya’s Dr. S. S. Badrinath Campus on Saturday. His lecture, titled “My Journey with Dr. S. S. Badrinath,” highlighted his experiences with the late founder of Sankara Nethralaya.
In his speech, Dr. Ravindra recalled how Dr. Badrinath always prioritized his patients and never accepted gifts from them. “The only time he accepted a gift was when a patient gave him a pair of Hawai slippers.” He reminisced about his fellowship days with Dr. Badrinath and encouraged young doctors to stay close to their mentors and learn from them. He said, “Though technology may teach you new surgical techniques, you can develop true skills only by being with your mentors for a long time.”
Dr. Ravindra concluded his speech by saying, “Let us remember that the soul of Dr. Badrinath is watching over us, and he will always be a guiding force behind Sankara Nethralaya.”
Padma Vibhushan Dr. Prathap C. Reddy, Founder and Chairman of Apollo Hospitals Group, addressed the gathering through a video message.
Sankara Nethralaya Chairman Dr. T. S. Surendran and President Dr. Girish Shiva Rao participated in the event, along with senior consultants, consultants, and staff members.
The endowment lecture series, inaugurated after Dr. Badrinath’s passing, features prominent figures in the field and serves an educational purpose. The first lecture was delivered by Dr. Gopalkrishna Gandhi.