March at KGiSL Campus is a time of celebrations. And the most-awaited celebration of the season is the Smt. Divyalakshmi Awards, coinciding with International Women’s Day. For this annual event, the entire KGiSL family gathers together to honor extraordinary women from all walks of life. Instituted in memory of our late Founder-Director, Smt. Divyalakshmi Ashok, the Awards have recognized over 50 remarkable women from across India and the world since 2020.
Smt. Divyalakshmi Awards 2025
This year, marking six consecutive years of the Awards, we celebrated eight more stellar women with truly inspiring stories:
- Shri. Vadakithiammal: A 50-year-old rubber plantation worker who, with a mere flashlight, prevented a major railway accident in Tenkasi.
- Shri. A Sabeena: A nurse from Cuddalore who crossed a flooded Chaliyar to deliver vital aid to the people of Mundakkai during the 2024 Wayanad landslides.
- Shri. Lakshmi Krishnan: A veteran of the Indian National Army, who served alongside the iconic leaders of the Indian Freedom Movement, including Netaji Subash Chandra Bose and Captain Lakshmi Sehgal during World War II.
- Dr. Aparaajitha Ramadyani: One of the first women officers of the CRPF (Central Reserve Police Force) who served on the security detail of seven Indian Prime Ministers before going on a mission to rescue and rehabilitate stray dogs.
- Shri. Geedha Kannan: The visionary founder of Wequity, a leading voice and champion for gender equity within the Indian IT sector.
- Shri. Ashwini Angadi: The Malala Award-winning disability rights activist who founded the Belaku Academy to empower the differently-abled with her unique brand of inclusive education.
- Shri. Priya Rajanarayanan: The home gardener who became a dedicated conservationist to single-handedly preserve over 800 rare heritage seed varieties from across the country.
- Shri. Radhamani Amma: A remarkable 70-year-old driving instructor from Kochi who holds licenses to operate an astounding 11 classes of vehicles, including tankers and excavators.
We had the honor of hearing from the awardees narrate their experience firsthand. And their stories of courage and compassion have been a real inspiration.
The DLA ceremony is more than an awards presentation. It is also a showcase of our student community’s colorful and creative side. Our students paid heartfelt tributes to the awardees with captivating performances of villupattu, drama, dance, and poetry, and brought their stories to life. A special highlight of the event was the musical performance by our talented young guest artist, Baby Diya.
Kindathon 2025
The spirit of giving that defines the Smt. Divyalakshmi Awards finds its tangible expression in Kindathon, our annual movement for kindness- a student-led movement that unfolds in the weeks leading up to the Awards. This year, for the third edition of Kindathon, over 600 students poured thought and care into meaningful gifts impacting the lives of over 1,000 children, women, seniors, and differently-abled individuals.
The student participants put together thoughtful care packages, filled with interactive learning aids, toiletries, clothing, other essentials, and accessories. They visited several special schools across the city and the surrounding villages to bond with children over wall painting and other fun activities. Our health sciences students offered pain relief and mobility training sessions for the elderly at old-age homes. They organized first aid training sessions to equip caregivers with life-saving skills. Continuing the annual tradition of blood donation, hundreds of students came forward for thalassemia patients.
Of special note is the undertaking of our tech-savvy students who paired kindness with the power of artificial intelligence. Driven by their passion for emerging technologies, students designed and developed a number of AI-powered assistive devices:
- Smart Home Automation for Elders
- Elder-care Dashboards
- Smart Medication Dispenser
- AI-based Ergonomics Assistant
- Speech-to-Text Device
- Gesture-to-Text Analysis
- Smart Sensors and Gloves
- IOT-based Monitoring System
The efforts of all 600 participating students were recognized with Kindathon Badges at the ceremony, celebrating their empathy, creativity, and commitment to serving the community that has been our institution’s home for over two decades.
The Smt. Divyalakshmi Awards and the Kindathon continue to stand as a powerful testament to the institution’s legacy and the guiding vision of Smt. Divyalakshmi Ashok. Her belief in the boundless potential of individuals continues to inspire the KG family to innovate with heart and make a positive impact on the world around us.
