The Madras Christian College honoured two of its alumni who had made a mark for themselves in their chosen fields at the fifth edition of the college’s Distinguished Alumni Series.
The college which began functioning in 1837 has so far seen 184 batches graduate from its portals.
On Friday, Sashi Kumar, founder of Media Development Foundation and Ruth Kattumuri, founder of Indian Observatory in the London School of Economics, were honoured. MCC Alumni Association president K.M. Mammen said the Distinguished Alumni Series was “designed to inspire and motivate our current crop of students.” The award comprised a plaque, a medal and a citation.
Ms. Ruth was recognised for her exemplary contributions to academia and global policymaking. She did her Masters in Statistics, Computer Science and Managerial Economics and M.Phil from MCC and became a lecturer in the college’s Statistics Department. She did her Ph.D from the London School of Economics (LSE). She is also a visiting Professor at various universities in India, China and other countries.
Her leadership as founder and co-chair of the India Observatory, London School of Economics and her work on policy, her commitment to justice, equality and good governance were achievements that made her the choice for the award. Ms. Ruth stated that the business of a school was to build up students to achieve their potential and not what others want for them. She said that her time at MCC gave her the tools that she honed in her later years and used them in the multiple fields she currently worked in.
Mr. Sashi Kumar was recognised for his pioneering leadership and contribution to the media in India. His unwavering commitment to journalism, his impact on news and entertainment, along with his drive to teach excellence in these fields, exemplify a life dedicated to knowledge and storytelling and continues to inspire the next generation of media practitioners, the citation read. He completed his postgraduation in 1975 from MCC in History. He was among the earliest newscasters in English on Doordarshan. He was also a film critic and producer and director of topical features on television. He later founded the Media Development Foundation that runs the Asian College of Journalism.
Mr. Sashi said that the role of history in representing the world to us is much like the role that media plays in holding up a light to what goes on around us. Though the media was falling short in the role of fourth pillar it is designed to play, he was optimistic that it would find its way back to its original calling.
F.D. Initha, Joint Director General of Foreign Trade and MCC alumnus, and college principal P. Wilson also spoke.
