Last Date for Nominations – March 31, 2020
The Tamil Heritage Trust-Prof S. Swaminathan Heritage Award (THT-SS Award) aims to recognize exceptional individual contributions towards the understanding, dissemination and preservation of Indian Heritage. By rewarding outstanding work in this area, the Award aspires to encourage interest and involvement of the general public in Indian Heritage, thereby raising the awareness and appreciation of history, literature, arts and culture which deserve our attention and care.
The award aims to recognize and reward the efforts and achievements of individuals. Thus, collective enterprises like societies, trusts and Section 8 companies and other interest groups will not be eligible for the award.
The Award is based on a nomination and selection process.
The Award will consist of a citation and a prize of Rs.25000/-
Nomination Process
- Any individual can nominate any other individual whom they believe has done noteworthy work in the area of Indian heritage.
- Individuals can also nominate themselves.
- Nominee's age should be between 20 and 50 years.
- The individual must be a citizen of India and ordinarily resident in India.
- Nominations must be sent by email to awards.tht@gmail.com to reach us before March 31, 2020.
- There is no Nomination Form.
- A Nomination must consist of the following:
- Personal Details: Full Name, Full Address, Mobile Number, Email id, Scanned Passport size Photograph, Brief biodata of the Nominee
- Details of Contribution to Heritage: Details of actual work done by the nominee in the past (upto) five years. The details may be sent in any one of the following formats: MS Word, MS Powerpoint or PDF.
- Supporting Documentation: Documentary evidence the work done by the nominee could include copies of papers submitted, articles written in journals, newspapers or magazines, links to any websites or blogs run by the nominee, lists of talks given, links to social media presence
- Nominations and accompanying details may be in English or Tamil only.
Selection of Winner
A jury comprising members of the THT Award Committee as well as experts from the field of Heritage will select the winner.
As a part of the selection process, the Judges may choose to have an interaction with the nominee in person or over phone.
Award Ceremony & Award Lecture
The THT-Prof. S Swaminathan Heritage Award will be presented at a formal ceremony during May or June 2020 at the Tamil Virtual Academy, Kottupuram, Chennai.
The Winner will be invited to present the Award Lecture at the Ceremony. The Winner may choose a topic of her/his choice. The Award Lecture may be in Tamil or English.
FAQs
Am I eligible to enter?
We welcome Nominations from any individual who is a citizen of India and is ordinarily resident in India. Organisations and institutions – like Societies, Trusts, Interest Groups etc – are not eligible.
What are the criteria for selection?
The work done must relate to the previous 5 years. The judges will look for, among other qualities and parameters:
- New discoveries or insights
- Thoroughness of knowledge in the chosen area
- Scholarly rigour in the individual’s output
- Demonstrable eagerness to share with the public and involve them in a dialog
- Consistency and persistence of the effort
In what language should the Nomination be submitted?
Nominations can be sent in English or Tamil only.
Is it necessary for the Winner to deliver the Award Lecture?
Yes, the Winner will be expected to deliver the Award Lecture at the Ceremony, either in Tamil or English, on a topic of her/his choice.
What is the Last Date for Nomination?
The last date for entries to reach THT is March 31st, 2020.
When will the winner be announced?
The winner will be announced shortly before the Award Ceremony and the Award Lecture.
When and Where is the Awards Ceremony?
The Ceremony will take place during May or June 2020 at Tamil Virtual Academy, Kotturpuram, Chennai. The time will be announced soon.
Is there an Entry Fee?
No, there is no fee involved.
Terms + Conditions of entry
The Award will be made solely at the discretion of the Jury. No feedback or correspondence will be entered into about the results and the Jury’s decision is final.
About Tamil Heritage Trust (THT)
Tamil Heritage Trust (THT) is a recognized trust (Reg.No. 379/2010) set up with a vision to promote, document and disseminate Indian heritage. The impetus for this came from Prof. S. Swaminathan, who retired as Professor of Mechanical Engineering, IIT-Delhi and Badri Seshadri, a well-known publisher, entrepreneur and heritage enthusiast.
THT’s events are conducted by volunteers with a common interest in Indian heritage and a passion to communicate its richness and beauty to as many people as possible. Aṣ a non-profit organization, the Trust is supported by sponsors and donations by heritage enthusiasts. There is no membership or subscription fees. THT’s Monthly Talks and Pechu Kacheri programs are free for all. The Site Seminars, Mamallapuram Study Tours and How to See a Temple sessions are run on an at-cost basis.
Our mission is to get everyone interested in Indian heritage and, if they are already attracted to this subject, provide them a community they can enjoy learning along with.
Towards this end, we conduct a range of events:
- Monthly Talks on various aspects of heritage, conducted on the first Saturday of every month
- Annual Pechu Kacheri (a lecture series) on heritage-related themes in December
- Periodic Study Tours to Mamallapram
- Periodic Workshops on “How to See a Temple”
- Annual Site Seminars – weeklong tours to heritage sites of importance in and outside Tamil Nadu
- Presentations at schools to sensitize youngsters to our heritage
- Coordination with the TN Government’s culture/tourism agencies to support and supplement their efforts
You can follow THT on Facebook (/TamilHeritageTrust) and Twitter (@TamilHeritageTN)
About Prof. S Swaminathan
Prof. S Swaminathan is the inspiration behind the Tamil Heritage Trust. As a co-founder, he continues to guide the initiatives and activities of THT.
His interest in India’s rich heritage goes back to his days at IIT-Delhi where he engaged generations of his students in projects and conversations on India’s traditions in art, architecture, music, mathematics and science. After his retirement he made it his life’s mission to educate, inform and inspire interested audiences to discover more about their heritage.
A Professor in Mechanical Engineering in Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi for more than 30 years, Prof Swaminathan also worked in the Centre for Rural Development in IIT Madras, Bharath Gyan Vigyan Samithy, Delhi as the National Coordinator for watershed development and Integrated Rural Technology Centre, Palakkad, Kerala.
Fuelled by an infinite curiosity, his interests range far and wide. He has written a book on the Pallava art of Mamallapuram. His lectures on the paintings of Ajanta are legendary. His talks on an array of topics – 5000 years of Indian Art, The Story of Scripts, the Mathematics of Kolams, the Trees of India and so on - have served as wonderful introductions to awestruck audiences for many years. His erudition makes him equally at home with the fine nuances of Carnatic music, the complexities of Gandhian thought and the refined ideas of Nehru’s scientific temper.
His passion for education, especially of young minds, has led him to work pro-bono with schools and colleges – helping to redesign curriculum at one institution, assisting teachers to bring practical science to the class rooms at another, planting a Sangam-age orchard of tress in a third, and readily sharing his wisdom for the benefit of teachers and students everywhere.
He is the author Mamallapuram: Unfinished Poetry in Stone and monographs on the Paintings of Ajanta, and the Monuments of Pudukottai District.
Contact Us
For any clarifications, please contact us at:
Mail : awards.tht@gmail.com
Phone : Siva Thiagarajan: 9884294494; Sivasankar Babu 9840068123
