Kalam to honour MK for Tamil development

Chennai, Feb 20 (UNI) President A P J Abdul Kalam will confer the ''Bharathiyar Tamil Semmal Award'' on Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi during his two-day visit to the state beginning on February 23.

Dr Kalam would present the award to Mr Karunanidhi at a function to be organised by the Bharathiyar University at Coimbatore on February 24, university sources today told UNI.

The award is meant to honour Mr Karunanidhi for his efforts in getting the classical language status for Tamil and in recognition of his contributions to the language and its development.

The function would be held at the University premises at 1500 hrs.

Dr Kalam, who would arrive here on February 23, will deliver the convocation address at the Madras Christian College (MCC) in suburban Tambaram and Women's Christian College (WCC) in the city and inaugurate an international conference at the Madras Institute of Technology (MIT) during the day.

Tamil Nadu Governor Surjit Singh Barnala, State Higher Education Minister K Ponmudi and Union Minister of State for Railways R Velu will participate in the MCC convocation.

Dr Kalam would present gold medals to 20 students, one of them blind and another physically challenged, before delivering the convocation address.

Mr Velu will launch the web portal of the 170-year-old MCC while Mr Ponmudi will inaugurate the Centre for International Social Work, which would bring together 12 colleges from Europe and Australia and MCC for collaborative projects.

MORE UNI