Awards
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 received IPSC Award for 3rd Year in Row!
Out of 258 nominations (229 National & 29 International entries) from 78 Healthcare organizations across the globe, Sankara Nethralaya won the International Patient Safety Award 2025 under the category “Incidents and Safety Events leading to Improvements” at the 12th International Patient Safety Conference 2025, conducted by Apollo Hospitals.
Dr Jaichandran V V, Hospital Safety Committee (HSC) Chairperson received the award from Dr Sangita Reddy, Joint Managing Director, Apollo Hospitals and Mr Mduduzi Matsebula, Hon’ble Minister of Health, Eswatini, on 21st February, 2025, Delhi.
Dr Jaichandran V V Awarded – Hall of Fame Award 2025
Sankara Nethralaya family congratulates Dr Jaichandran V V, Deputy Director, Department of Anaesthesiology for the induction of “Hall of Fame Award 2025” at the Ganga Anaesthesia Refresher Course GARC 2025, Ganga Hospital Coimbatore 1st February 2025.
The award was given mainly for his excellent accomplishments in the field of Ophthalmic anaesthesia and also in the extracurricular field. The award was presented by Dr Bala Venkat J, India Society of Anesthesiologists ISA President
Ms. Manju, Senior Optometrist (Contact Lens), Bags IACLE’s ‘IMAGE OF THE YEAR 2024’ Award!
Congratulations to Ms. Manju, Senior Optometrist in our Contact Lens Department, for winning the “IMAGE OF THE YEAR – 2024” award by IACLE for her case on Lattice Corneal Dystrophy managed with a scleral lens.
This marks the second consecutive year our CL team has earned this prestigious honor!
35th Institutional Award Ceremony
The 35th Institutional Award Ceremony of the Medical and Vision Research Foundation was held on December 7, 2024, at the Dr V D Swami Auditorium, Sankara Nethralaya, Chennai.
Dr C Sylendra Babu, IPS (Retd), Former Director General of Police and Head of Police Force, Tamil Nadu, was the chief guest for the ceremony. Other distinguished luminaries in attendance were Dr T S Surendran, Chairman, Medical Research Foundation & Director, Pediatric Ophthalmology, Dr Smita Praveen, Director- Academics, Dr N Angayarkanni, Director- Laboratory Services, Dr A R Anand, Professor & Head, Microbiology Department, Coordinator – Vidyasagar Institute of Biomedical Technology and Sciences along with Dr Rashima Asokan, Professor – Elite School of Optometry and Dr N Anuradha, Principal – Elite School of Optometry.
During his address to the graduates, Dr C Sylendra Babu insisted on the importance of optometrists and their roles in the community. Dr N Anuradha and Dr A R Anand presented the academic reports of Elite School of Optometry and Vidyasagar Institute of Biomedical Technology and Sciences (VIBS) respectively. The event brought together proud parents and professionals of the institution for the much awaited ceremony.
On the day of the ceremony, 5 PhD scholars, 5 post graduates and 28 undergraduates of Optometry received their honors in addition to the best students of the first, second and third year of optometry. Institutional awards for various ophthalmology specialties and research were also presented. Furthermore, awards for Best Optometrist, Best Research Publication and Best Research in Optometry instituted by the Elite School of Optometry Alumni Association, as well as awards for Best Junior & Senior faculty were also conferred to the recipients. ESO congratulates all the graduates and award recipients on this grand occasion!
OPTINT Conference Highlights from Sankara Nethralaya, Optometry Department
The Second National Optometry Conference, OPTINT, organized by the Optometric Association of Tamil Nanbargal (OATN), was successfully held at Sri Ramachandra Medical College on August 31 and September 1, 2024. This event brought together professionals and students from the field of optometry to share their research and advancements.
The Department of Optometry proudly submitted a total of eight abstracts, showcasing the innovative work of our team.
Awards and Recognitions:
- Best Oral Presentation (Regular Category): Ms. Tharakeswari T, Senior Optometrist, received this prestigious award for her outstanding presentation, reflecting her expertise and dedication to the field.
- Best Poster Winner (Case Report Category): Ms. Diksha Rathi was recognized for her exceptional poster.
- Best Poster Runner-Up (Case Report Category): Ms. Anindita Choudhury earned commendation for her impactful case report presentation. Ms Diksha Rathi and Ms Anindita Choudhury, Master of Optometry students (The Sankara Nethralaya Academy) submitted their case report under the guidance from the team of Binocular vision.
These achievements highlight the talent and hard work from the Department of Optometry, Sankara Nethralaya. Congratulations to all the participants and awardees for their remarkable contributions!
ESO & TSNA Students Shine at 60th Indian Contact Lens Education Programme
Our Masters Optometry students from the Elite School of Optometry (ESO) and The Sankara Nethralaya Academy (TSNA) won a feat of awards at the “60th Indian Contact Lens Education Programme (ICLEP)” held at LV Prasad Eye Institute (LVPEI), Hyderabad on July 14th, 2024.
Ms. Janani B from ESO, SASTRA, emerged as the “WINNER” for her oral presentation titled “Cost and Benefits of Availing Specialty Contact Lenses from the Perspective of Patients.” Her research, supervised by Dr. Anuradha, Ms. Swetha, and Ms. S. Madhumathi, impressed the judges and highlighted the economic and therapeutic advantages of specialty contact lenses.
Ms. Archita Kakti from TSNA secured the “RUNNER UP” award for her insightful presentation on “Evaluation of Changes in Ocular Surface Parameters in Neophyte Soft Contact Lens Users.” Her study, under the guidance of Ms. S. Madhumathi and Mr. Ronit Dutta, shed light on the impact of contact lens use on ocular surface health in new users.
In addition to these top honors, four abstracts from our Masters students were selected for oral presentations at the conference, showcasing their innovative research and clinical findings:
Ms. Sindhu Vaishnavi from TSNA presented her work on “Quality of Life in Pediatric Patients Wearing Scleral Lenses,” supervised by Ms. S. Madhumathi, Ms. Akshaya Balakrishnan, and Ms. S. Karpagavalli. Her research focused on the positive impact of scleral lenses on the quality of life in young patients.
Mr. Priyom Parashar from TSNA shared a “Case Report on Managing Nystagmus: A Comprehensive Approach for Improved Outcomes,” guided by Mr. Praveen Kumar, Mr. Amit Bhowmick, Mr. Krishna Shah, and Ms. S. Madhumathi. His detailed case study provided valuable insights into managing nystagmus for better patient outcomes.
Sankara Nethralaya Honored with Sri Sant Hirdharam Sewa Award at Vision 2020 Conference
The 18th annual conference of Vision 2020, a significant event in the field of ophthalmology, was held from July 5 to 7, 2024, at Christian Medical College & Hospital, Ludhiana. The conference brought together leading experts and institutions dedicated to eradicating preventable blindness and enhancing eye care services globally.
During the event, the Sri Sant Hirdharam Sewa award was awarded to Sankara Nethralaya for our innovative eye care practices. Our Senior Consultant, Dr. R R Sudhir, received the award on behalf of Sankara Nethralaya.
Sankara Nethralaya Honours Atlanta-based Engineer Mr. Bala Reddy Indurti with Sankara Ratna Award
Sankara Nethralaya is proud to announce that Atlanta-based engineer and philanthropist Mr. Bala Reddy Indurti was awarded the prestigious Sankara Ratna Award for 2023 on May 25, at Shri. V. D. Swami Auditorium, Sankara Nethralaya Padma Bhushan Dr. S. S. Badrinath Campus, College Road, Chennai.
Mr. Bala Reddy Indurti, an alumnus of Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, Hyderabad (JNTU), and the University of Texas, has channelled his professional success into passionate social work. His efforts primarily focus on providing educational assistance to underprivileged children and organizing free health camps.
As the President of Sankara Nethralaya USA, Mr. Indurti has significantly increased the organization’s footprint by establishing numerous chapters across the United States. His notable “Adopt a Village” initiative enables Indian expatriates to sponsor Mobile Eye Surgical Units (MESU) in their ancestral villages in India, delivering essential eye care to underserved communities.
The award ceremony was attended by Gagandeep Singh Bedi, Additional Chief Secretary to the Government, Health and Family Welfare Department, Government of Tamil Nadu, who presented the award. Former India cricketer Ambati Rayudu served as the guest of honour. The event also saw the presence of several dignitaries including former Sankara Ratna recipient and acclaimed Tamil movie director S. P. Muthuraman, Justice Prabha Sridevan (Retd.), and Dr. V. Thirupugazh I.A.S. (Retd.). Honorary Secretory, Medical Research Foundation, Mr. G Ramacharndran, Sankara Nethralaya’s President Dr. Girish Shiva Rao, Chairman Dr. T. S. Surendran, and Honorary Treasurer Mr. Kannan Narayanan graced the occasion.
Mr. Indurti expressed his gratitude and commitment to the cause, stating, “When I started working for the Sankara Nethralaya, I could see the vision of Dr. S. S. Badrinath. In the USA, we had 25 trustees and seven chapters. In the last six years after I became the president, we expanded from seven places to 21 places. We are trying to expand to more and more cities.”
In his address, Mr. Gagandeep Singh Bedi highlighted the importance of eye donation and the critical role of collaborations between government health sectors and NGOs like Sankara Nethralaya for societal betterment. Quoting Swami Vivekananda, he remarked, “Service of mankind is service to God. Standing here at this ceremony, I am reminded of two categories of people. One category includes people like Bala Reddy. All the way from the USA, he thought about his brothers here in India and was involved in activities for their welfare. The next category includes doctors and paramedical staff.”
Guest of honour, Ambati Rayudu, echoed these sentiments, emphasizing the need for greater appreciation of doctors. He shared a personal anecdote about how his child’s vision was restored by Sankara Nethralaya, expressing profound gratitude to the doctors and the institution.
The Sankara Ratna Award, established in 2002 to commemorate the Silver Jubilee of Sankara Nethralaya, honors distinguished individuals who have significantly supported and contributed to the institution’s mission and philosophy. Past recipients include luminaries such as Sri Ratan Tata, Sri A. M. Naik, Dr. Madhavan Nair, Tamil movie director S. P. Muthuraman, and former HDFC Chairman Deepak Parekh.
This year’s award to Mr. Bala Reddy Indurti continues the tradition of recognizing exceptional contributions to society, highlighting the impactful work done by individuals in collaboration with Sankara Nethralaya.
Dr. Veena Baskaran Honored by ACOIN for Community Service at International Friendship Conference
Dr. Veena Baskaran, the Head of the Department at Jaslok Community Ophthalmic Centre and Senior Consultant at C.U.Shah Sankara Nethralaya, has received recognition for her outstanding community service at The International IndoNepal Friendship Conference held in Kathmandu. The conference, which unfolded on April 13th and 14th, had Dr. Veena Baskaran being honored by ACOIN (Association of Community Ophthalmologists of India and Nepal) for her remarkable contributions in community service. This accolade is a fitting tribute to her dedication to improving eye health and highlights her contributions to the field of ophthalmology.