The Sevai Semmal Award stands today as one of Tamil Nadu’s most prestigious recognitions for selfless volunteers and grassroots social workers. Unlike typical award platforms, this honour is presented to only one deserving individual from each district, making it a distinctive and highly respected acknowledgment of genuine service. Over the past year, the Tamil Nadu Volunteers team identified and closely monitored volunteers across all 38 districts of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, evaluating their community work, dedication, leadership impact and ability to uplift others. The selection emphasized qualities such as selfless service without expectation, the ability to inspire more volunteers, discipline and consistent commitment to social development. It also recognized volunteers who expanded their service beyond individual contributions by building teams and creating larger district and state-level impact. Above all, humility, integrity and a genuine concern for people formed the core of the evaluation.
In a time when commercialized awards and paid recognitions are becoming common, the Sevai Semmal Awards remain committed to honouring only authentic grassroots workers without any form of nomination fee, recommendation or influence. On International Volunteers Day, 32 outstanding volunteers, social workers and organizations from Tamil Nadu and Puducherry were honoured at IIT Madras for their dedicated service to society.
IIT Madras Recognized as the “Most Socially Responsible Educational Institution”
This year’s ceremony, held at the prestigious IIT Madras campus, included a special recognition for the institute under the category of “Most Socially Responsible Educational Institution.” The award highlighted IIT Madras’ remarkable contributions to education, research, rural development, healthcare innovation, environmental sustainability and the promotion of Tamil language and culture. The honour was presented by Dr. J. Radhakrishnan IAS, Additional Chief Secretary to the Government of Tamil Nadu and Chairman & Managing Director of TANGEDCO, to Prof. V. Kamakoti, Director of IIT Madras.
Prof. Kamakoti expressed that education remains the most powerful tool to transform lives, and IIT Madras takes pride in celebrating volunteers who work silently and selflessly. He emphasized the institute’s commitment to making high-quality education accessible to all through initiatives such as the BS Degree Program, Sports Excellence Admissions and multiple financial aid options. He reiterated that even if a student misses the opportunity to qualify through JEE, IIT need not remain out of reach, as IIT Madras now opens its doors through flexible, inclusive learning pathways under the vision of “IITM for All.”
Honouring Dr. J. Radhakrishnan IAS – A Beacon of Social Responsibility
One of the most inspiring moments of the event was the honouring of Dr. J. Radhakrishnan IAS as the “Most Socially Responsible IAS Officer.” Known across India for his administrative excellence, compassion and crisis management, Dr. Radhakrishnan has played pivotal roles in several of the nation’s most challenging situations. As the District Collector of Nagapattinam during the 2004 tsunami, he led one of the most demanding rescue and rehabilitation missions in Indian history. His work was praised internationally, including by former US President Bill Clinton.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, he became a symbol of reassurance to the people of Tamil Nadu, personally monitoring hospitals, containment zones and flood-affected locations. His leadership saved countless lives. Beyond official duties, his humanitarian efforts—supporting orphaned children, sponsoring underprivileged families, and helping the distressed—speak to his exceptional character. He remains admired for his humility and his commitment to serving every citizen with dignity. Upon receiving the award, Dr. Radhakrishnan expressed that the true heroes are the anonymous volunteers who dedicate themselves to improving lives without expecting anything in return, and he appreciated the rigorous selection process of Tamil Nadu Volunteers.
IIT Madras: A National Leader in Social Impact and Education
The event also highlighted IIT Madras’ wide-ranging contributions to national development. Under the Anaivarukkum IITM (IITM for All) initiative, the institute has made IIT-quality education accessible to millions of students from rural, tribal and economically disadvantaged backgrounds through awareness programmes, certificate courses and online degrees. The Vidya Shakti initiative, which began in 2021 with five villages, has expanded to 7,200 government schools across eight states and Ladakh, providing continuous learning to over 6.7 lakh students and significantly reducing dropout rates.
IIT Madras has also played a vital role in promoting Tamil language and heritage through the Kashi Tamil Sangamam initiative. Over 30,000 students in Varanasi are now learning Tamil through IIT Madras’ educational programmes, establishing a cultural bridge between two ancient civilizations.
In healthcare, the institute has developed transformative medical technologies through centres like HTIC and the Shankar Centre of Excellence, including AI-based diagnostic tools and mechanical septic-tank cleaners. Through platforms such as NPTEL, online BS degrees and Sports Excellence Admissions, IIT Madras continues to make world-class education accessible to all. Environmental sustainability remains another area of excellence, with the International Centre for Clean Water and other research centres driving innovation in clean energy and sustainable development. The institute also leads several rural development programmes, including tele-health solutions, regenerative agriculture support and livelihood enhancement through rural technology centres. Its assistive technology initiatives under TTK–R2D2 have empowered thousands of persons with disabilities with custom mobility devices. During the COVID pandemic, IIT Madras contributed more than ₹15 crore worth of support, including testing and evaluation for national platforms such as Aarogya Setu and CoWIN.
Special Awards Presented
This year’s ceremony also recognized exceptional individuals and organizations for their service. Mr. Selvam, former Deputy Collector of Tirupathur and currently serving in Thiruvallur District Administration, received the award for “Most Socially Responsible Government Officer” for his integrity, commitment to people and exemplary work in public service.
Whacky Patrol, a social media initiative run by Hemant Kumar from Chennai, was honored as the “Most Socially Responsible Social Media Channel.” Known for using social media not for fame but to identify and help people in need—with complete anonymity—this Platform received heartfelt appreciation for its genuine humanitarian approach.
Honouring Palm Seed Plantation Volunteers
Ten district coordinators from the Tamil Nadu Government’s Palm Seed Plantation Mission were honoured for their outstanding efforts in planting 2.24 crore palm seeds across the state. THIRI Foundation, which developed the Udhavi app to geo-track and maintain planted seeds, was also recognized for its technological contribution to environmental sustainability.
About Tamil Nadu Volunteers
Tamil Nadu Volunteers is one of the state’s largest social networks, uniting more than 10,000 active volunteers and over 3,000 NGOs. Over 2 lakh volunteers have worked across disaster relief, education, healthcare, food support, blood donation, environmental protection and COVID hospital assistance, collectively benefiting more than 3 lakh people. The Sevai Semmal Awards were first introduced in 2021 under the leadership of IGP Balakrishnan IPS during the pandemic and have continued under exemplary IAS and IRS leadership.
The organization aims to identify and honour real grassroots heroes every year and to build at least ten socially responsible leaders in every village of Tamil Nadu—creating a compassionate, responsible and service-focused future generation.
For more details:
📞 9087293339 / 9003170726
Photos: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1lpATBX-VadI4Lofiz8DVU7upIO4dnIeW?usp=sharing
Video: https://www.youtube.com/live/zKbEqi9-VTs?si=B2BArXmXQy16-qdt&t=2925
Awardees List:
| Title | Name | Contact |
| Most Socially Responsible IAS Officer | Dr. J. Radhakrishnan IAS | – |
| Most Socially Responsible Educational Institution | IIT Madras | – |
| Most Socially Responsible Government Officer | P. Selvam | – |
| Most Socially Responsible Digital Changemaker | Hemandh Kumar (Whacky Patrol) | – |
| Ariyalur | D. Elavarasan | 9786878579 |
| Chengalpattu | Jayaprakash K | 9790400606 |
| Chennai | Rijoy Thomas | 9605435521 |
| Coimbatore | Krishnamurthy | 9171692970 |
| Cuddalore | P.Anandh | 9345443180 |
| Dharmapuri | SATHISH KUMAR RAJA | 8667229134 |
| Dindigul | RMKRK Kulandaivel | 9842541555 |
| Erode | K K Vimal Karuppannan | 9786669999 |
| Kallakurichi | A. Selvakumar | 8870245628 |
| Kancheepuram | Aswanth Murugan | 9894881203 |
| Karur | K.SENGUTTUVAN | 9994344010 |
| Madurai | SUNDAR RAJAN S | 9600807001 |
| Mayiladuthurai | K. Raveendran | 9965056141 |
| Namakkal | Srinivasan. P | 8667874420 |
| Nilgiris | S. FAROOK AHAMED | 9944001032 |
| Pondicherry | V. Veera | 9894531775 |
| Pudukkottai | RAHUL DHANABALAN | 7975173373 |
| Salem | V Sathyaprakash | 8072319266 |
| Sivaganga | R. Muthulakshmi Baskaran | 9566362048 |
| Tenkasi | A.Therikumar | 9841591016 |
| Thanjavur | Nimal Raghavan | 9962200666 |
| Tirunelveli | B. Felix Francy | 9442461434 |
| Tirupathur | GIRIDHARAN MAHENDIRAN | 9500358837 |
| Tiruppur | S.Janakiram | 9578178282 |
| Tiruvallur | Mohammed Thouship | 8807775266 |
| Tiruvannamalai | Karthik G | 8098893809 |
| Viluppuram | Kannan L | 9123582008 |
| Virudhunagar | Shanmuga Priyadharshini N | 9361698610 |