Padma Shri Award to Dr N Chandrasekharan Nair, Chairman, Kerala Hindi Sahitya Academy as a recognition of his exceptional and distinguished service in the field of Literature and Education.

Welcome to the official website of Dr. N Chandrasekharan Nair

DR N CHANDRASEKHARAN NAIR (PADMA SHRI AWARD WINNER)

Founder & Former Chairman – Kerala Hindi Sahitya Academy, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala

Padma Shri Dr N Chandrasekharan Nair was an eminent Hindi Scholar and the Founder and Chairman of the Kerala Hindi Sahitya Academy (KHSA),Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala for 42 years. Dr Nair passed away at the age of 99 years on 10th January 2022 (Vishwa Hindi Divas). Dr N Chandrasekharan Nair was the former Head of the Department of Hindi at Mahatma Gandhi College, Thiruvananthapuram. Dr Nair was Awarded D.Lit., Major Research Fellow of U.G.C and Emeritus Professor of U.G.C. During 1976-2010, Dr. Nair was nominated in 14 Hindi Salahkar Samitees of various Central Government Ministries as “Salahkar” (Advisor) to the Ministers, Govt. of India. During 1989-93 Dr Nair was nominated as a “Senator” to the University of Kerala by the Governor of Kerala. He served as the Chairman of the Hindi Text Book Committee besides so many other academic Committees for Hindi Promotion and was also the Head of the Hindi Department of NSS Colleges in many parts of Kerala.

Dr. N. Chandrasekharan Nair (Dr N C Nair) was actively involved in social activities. In Ottapalam, Palghat, he established Gandhi Vigyan Bhavan and Bharat Yuvak Samaj to promote the Gandhian way of life and his principles. He was nominated as the Chairman of the Gandhi Centenary Committee.

Dr N C Nair was born in Sasthamkotta, Kollam, Kerala in a middle-class family. After completing his studies and 4 years of teaching in high schools, Dr N C Nair joined as a Lecturer in Hindi at the Mahatma Gandhi College, Thiruvananthapuram in 1951. Dr Nair got M.A. Degree in Hindi from Banaras Hindu University and a Ph.D. from Bihar University. Dr. Nair pursued vigorously both academics as well as his literary works along with a routine teaching career in the colleges for more than 3 decades.

Dr Nair was a strong Gandhian, who took Hindi Propagation as his Dharma and his devotion to Gandhiji. For 77 years, he has promoted Hindi in a non-Hindi-speaking Southern State of India, Kerala as his mission for National Integration. Even at the age of 16, he used to teach Hindi in rural villages in different parts of Kerala. Dr N C Nair established the Kerala Hindi Sahitya Academy (KHSA) in 1980 to promote Hindi studies and national integration through literary and cultural activities. For the last 43 years, KHSA has been playing a proactive role in promoting the Hindi language by organising Seminars and workshops, bringing out Publications & Periodical Magazine “Sodha Pathrika” undertaking high-quality Research, honouring personalities all over India in Hindi literature and Research with Awards and Recognitions, training and capacity building of youth in bringing out good Hindi publications, etc. Dr Nair had instituted a resourceful library in his house which is enabling Ph.D. students and other researchers to pursue their research and academics. Six Professors have obtained Ph.D. Degrees in the works of Dr N C Nair.

Over a period of time, KHSA created a congenial atmosphere for the promotion of Hindi Literature in Kerala. KHSA has been recognised by the Central Hindi Directorate through Grants. It has honoured more than 180 Hindi writers, especially youth from different parts of India. Academy’s publications, especially the periodical “Shodh Patrika” are nationally and internationally renowned.

Dr N Chandrasekharan Nair instituted an Award for the best Hindi Ph.D. Thesis in Kerala in 2018. The Award which is of Rs 50000/-, Citation and Certificate is given every year.

Dr N Chandrasekharan Nair was the recipient of numerous awards and honours. He received several National & State Awards and Awards instituted by Eminent Organisations / Institutions. In 2020, Dr N Chandrasekharan Nair was conferred one of the highest civilian honours of India, “Padma Shri”as a recognition of his distinguished contribution and service in the field of Literature and Education. He also instituted Cash Awards to school students for their best performance in Hindi.

Dr N Chandrasekharan Nair was a prominent writer both in Hindi and Malayalam. He was renowned as a Poet, Novelist, Dramatist, Story writer, Research Scholar, A well-known artist in painting and a critic in both the art subject and literary field. Dr Nair has written more than 50 original books in Hindi. Many of his books have been selected as textbooks by the Indian Universities. Gave “Preface” to many well-known works of noted writers. Dr Nair published articles in more than 800 periodicals in India and abroad. Dr Nair who was leading a Yogic life had many religious publications and works based on Upanishad, great epics like Adhyatma Ramayan, Chiranjeevi, Ram-Maruti Milan, Praises of Ram, Sree Lalitha Sahasranam Vyakhyaye, etc. Dr N C Nair had drawn more than a hundred paintings. A number of paintings of Dr. Nair were published in Indian Airlines magazines like Swagath. Many of his paintings were exhibited at Thiruvananthapuram and New Delhi.

Dr N Chandrasekharan Nair was the recipient of numerous awards and honours. He received several National and State Awards and Awards instituted by Eminent Organisations / Institutions. In 2020, Dr N Chandrasekharan Nair was conferred one of the highest civilian honours of India, “Padma Shri” as a recognition of his distinguished contribution and service in the field of Literature and Education.

Dr N C Nair received the prestigious “Vishva Hindi Samman” from the former Home Minister, Shri Rajnath Singh at the 10th Vishva Hindi Samelan hosted by the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India in Bhopal on September 12th, 2015. Recognizing his lifetime contribution to the propagation of Hindi all over the world, the Ministry of External Affairs – Government of India conferred the Vishva Hindi Samman to Dr Nair. Dr Nair was also honoured and awarded at the third World Hindi Conference held in 1983 in New Delhi.

In 2020, Dr Chandrasekharan Nair was honoured by the UCO Bank by awarding UCO Bharathiya Bhasha Souhard Samman (Year 2019-20) for his exceptional and distinguished service in promoting the Hindi language, literature and education. In 2018, Dr Nair was honoured by PSUs / Navaratnas with the TOLIC Award. In 2014, Dr Nair was awarded “Hindi Ratna Samman” by the Hindi Bhawan, New Delhi and “Desh Ratna” by the Uttar Pradesh Government. Dr Nair received the Ministry of Human Resource Development’s award for Hindi writers in non-Hindi speaking areas for 2004-05. He received the prestigious national award, “Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi Samman” of Rs 1 lakh from the late former President of India, Dr A P J Abdul Kalam in 2005 and the Maharashtra Hindi Sahitya Academy award in 2008.

Thiruvananthapuram Nagar Sabha has honoured Dr N Chandrasekharan Nair for his life time contributions to society by naming the road in front of his house and Academy in Lakshmi Nagar as “Padma Shri Dr N Chandrasekharan Nair Road” in October 2024.

Dr N Chandrasekharan Nair received “Abhinandan Grandhas” from many prominent Indian personalities like the Late Sri Narasimha Rao, Former Finance Minister, Minister of Finance, Govt of India, His Excellency, Mr B Rachaiah, Former Governor of Kerala and Sri Lal Krishna Advani, Former Minister for Communication, Govt of India. Dr N Chandrasekharan Nair was given awards in the name of Indian scholars and leaders like Madan Mohan Malavya, Vivekananda, Premchand, Ezhuthachan, Kesavasuth, Poet Mulla Dawood, Maharshi Vidhyadhi Raja, Sri Ganesh Shankar Vidhyarthi, etc.

Behind the success of Dr. N. Chandrasekharan Nair's life, his wife late Smt. T. Sarada has made a big contribution. She was the daughter of late Sarvodaya leader of Kerala, Prof M. P. Manmathan. They have three children: elder son, Mr C. Sarat Chandran (late), two daughters, Mrs. Neeraja Rajendran and Dr. S Sunanda.