S. Ramakrishnan (born 6 May 1954) is the founder president of Amar Seva Sangam, Ayikudi,

Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a States and union territories of India, state in southern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, tenth largest Indian state by area and the List of states and union territories of India ...

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

. He is known for his contributions to the field of

rehabilitation Rehabilitation or Rehab may refer to: Health * Rehabilitation (neuropsychology), therapy to regain or improve neurocognitive function that has been lost or diminished * Rehabilitation (wildlife), treatment of injured wildlife so they can be retur ...

for persons with

disabilities Disability is the experience of any condition that makes it more difficult for a person to do certain activities or have equitable access within a given society. Disabilities may be cognitive, developmental, intellectual, mental, physical, se ...

. Ramakrishnan was awarded the civilian honour,

Padma Shri Padma Shri (IAST: ''padma śrī''), also spelled Padma Shree, is the fourth-highest Indian honours system, civilian award of the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan. Instituted on 2 January 1954, ...

, by Government of India for the year 2020.

Early years and injury

Ramakrishnan was born in

Salem Salem may refer to: Places Canada Ontario * Bruce County ** Salem, Arran–Elderslie, Ontario, in the municipality of Arran–Elderslie ** Salem, South Bruce, Ontario, in the municipality of South Bruce * Salem, Dufferin County, Ontario, part ...

. He has three brothers and one sister. He started his schooling at

Thanjavur Thanjavur (), also Tanjore, Pletcher 2010, p. 195 is a city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Thanjavur is the 11th biggest city in Tamil Nadu. Thanjavur is an important center of South Indian religion, art, and architecture. Most of the Gr ...

and later moved to Ayikudi. In early 1970s, he joined the

mechanical engineering Mechanical engineering is the study of physical machines that may involve force and movement. It is an engineering branch that combines engineering physics and mathematics principles with materials science, to design, analyze, manufacture, and ...

course at the Government College of Technology, Coimbatore. On 10 January 1975, while he was in his fourth year of engineering, he attended a selection interview for naval officers held in Bangalore. During a physical test, he injured his neck following a fall and incurred cervical spine injury that resulted in complete loss of sensations and muscle power below his neck, along with impaired

bladder The urinary bladder, or simply bladder, is a hollow organ in humans and other vertebrates that stores urine from the kidneys before disposal by urination. In humans the bladder is a distensible organ that sits on the pelvic floor. Urine enters ...

and bowel control. He was initially managed at the airforce command hospital,

Bangalore Bangalore (), officially Bengaluru (), is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Karnataka. It has a population of more than and a metropolitan population of around , making it the third most populous city and fifth most ...

, for about three months. He was then shifted to the Military Hospital, Khadki,

Pune Pune (; ; also known as Poona, (List of renamed Indian cities and states#Maharashtra, the official name from 1818 until 1978) is one of the most important industrial and educational hubs of India, with an estimated population of 7.4 million ...

Rehabilitation and later years

Ramakrishnan underwent a course of rehabilitation over the next 10 months in Pune. It was here that he was motivated by his orthopedic physician and mentor Air Marshall Dr. Amarjit Singh Chahal, after whom Ramakrishnan named the organization he founded six years later.

Amar Seva Sangam

In 1981, Ramakrishnan started a school for children with disabilities at Ayikudi. The institute was registered as Amar Seva Sangam and was situated in a small piece of land donated by Ramakrishnan's parents. Sankara Raman, an auditor, who has

muscular dystrophy Muscular dystrophies (MD) are a genetically and clinically heterogeneous group of rare neuromuscular diseases that cause progressive weakness and breakdown of skeletal muscles over time. The disorders differ as to which muscles are primarily affe ...

, joined the Sangam in 1992. He is the honorary secretary of the Sangam. It started with a handful of children and involved in a few activities related to

polio Poliomyelitis, commonly shortened to polio, is an infectious disease caused by the poliovirus. Approximately 70% of cases are asymptomatic; mild symptoms which can occur include sore throat and fever; in a proportion of cases more severe s ...

prevention and rehabilitation, and is now spread over 30 acres of land and houses diverse activities including: * Daycare center for children with

cerebral palsy Cerebral palsy (CP) is a group of movement disorders that appear in early childhood. Signs and symptoms vary among people and over time, but include poor coordination, stiff muscles, weak muscles, and tremors. There may be problems with sensa ...

and mental retardation * Siva Saraswathi Vidyala, an integrated high school named after the parents of Ramakrishnan * Rehabilitation center for persons with physical disabilities * Vocational training center * Special study center for Indira Gandhi National Open University * Hostel for trainees * Early Intervention Centre for the toddlers between 0–5 years * Medical Testing Unit Schooling for children with disabilities and vocational training for persons with disabilities are being provided free of cost. https://www.amarseva.org/index.php

Personal life

Ramakrishnan lives in Ayikudi with his wife Chitra whom he married in 1994.

Awards

* IBN7 Super Idols, Lifetime Achievement Award, 2007. * Dr. Mary Verghese Award for excellence in empowering ability, 2012. *Rotary Club of Madras, Life Time Achiever Award 2015 *

Times of India ''The Times of India'', also known by its abbreviation ''TOI'', is an Indian English language, English-language daily newspaper and digital news media owned and managed by The Times Group. It is the List of newspapers in India by circulation, t ...

Amazing Indians award in the category 'Unstoppable Indians', 2016 *

(2020)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ramakrishnan, S. 1954 births Living people Indian Tamil people People from Salem district People with tetraplegia Indian disability rights activists Activists from Tamil Nadu 20th-century Indian educational theorists Recipients of the Padma Shri in social work