Dr M Nandakumar, principal and head of the Department of Printing Technology at Sivakasi’s Arasan Ganesan Polytechnic College, has been awarded the National Level Visvesvaraya Best Teacher Award by the All India Council for Technical Education which is based in New Delhi. Honorable Education Minister, Govt. of India, The central government education minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank took part in the online award ceremony event honoring the best teachers of the technical institutes in the country on 15 September 2020.
The criteria for the selection of the award include the use of innovative teaching and learning practices, academic outcomes, publication in research journals, funds received from the government for institute development, contributions to community development and student development and welfare activities.
This is the first-ever award instituted by the AICTE for honoring engineering and technology teachers at the national level. Dr M Nandakumar is the only teacher of printing technology selected for the national level award. Dr M Nandakumar is one of twelve teachers selected for the award across the country and also among the three winners from Tamilnadu.
Dr M Nandakumar is only the eighth PhD in printing in the country and the only one working currently working as a teacher in a polytechnic or college. His research papers have been published in five international journals and presented at seven international and national conferences. With more than 25 years with specialization in prepress, digital and offset printing, he is the author of Digital and Non-impact Printing, Designing Software, Print Production, and Desk Top Publishing.
He is the convener for the revision of diploma in printing syllabus for Tamilnadu and also the coordinator for the National Level Common Syllabus Committee for Printing Technology, All India Federation of Master Printers, New Delhi. And also the facilitator for the state project coordination unit, Canada India Institutional Cooperation Project (CIICP), Directorate of Technical Education (DOTE), Chennai.
Nandakumar was the recipient of Arutchelvar Dr N Mahalingam Best Polytechnic Teacher Award given by the Indian Society for Technical Education, New Delhi in 2013; the Outstanding Academician Award (Saveetha Excellence Award) by Saveetha Engineering College, Chennai; and, the UP Government National Award for Outstanding work done in specified areas of Engineering and Technology – Interaction with Industry by the Indian Society for Technical Education, New Delhi in 2019.
