Padman finds his way into TN State board Class 12 textbook

Renowned Padma Shree recipient and Coimbatore-based entrepreneur, Arunachalam Muruganantham figures in this year's Class XII biology textbook. 

Students following the Tamil Nadu state board syllabus will study a small sub-chapter on 'Padman' Arunachalam Muruganantham and his journey towards innovating a machine that can provide affordable sanitary napkins for women. This is the first time school students will have a chapter on Muruganantham’s story which has been regularly featured in most social, entrepreneurship and innovation modules, even at IIT. 

An elated Muruganantham noted that the students who read the case study in their book can browse the internet to understand the concept from the grassroots level. "It was when I got a call from my elementary school teacher recently that I realised my concept of developing affordable sanitary pads was published in a book," he added. 

The 56-year-old's life story and his invention has been mentioned as a case study in chapter two (Human Reproduction) of Class 12 book which is part of a revamped Class 12 syllabus curriculum for the academic year 2019-20.

"The placement of the case study was very accurate. The students going through the chapter might know who is Arunachalam and what he had innovated for the development of society," said Padman Muruganantham. "Just as we grew up studying life histories of Thomas Alva Edison, Marconi, and Albert Einstein, I believe my case study might strike a chord with rural students. Presently, there are many opportunities for rural students to know new things with the help of internet. Likewise, the thinking capacity of the students might get kindled after reading the concept of a man from their own State who has come up with an innovation. This might reform them from job seekers to job providers," he opined.

Arunachalam also said that the newly launched TN textbooks are well-designed and attractive, including facts and information in every chapter. Speaking to Express, Joint Director (Syllabus) of SCERT, P Kumar said, "We have included the life histories of known faces from Tamil Nadu in the currently revamped textbooks. Like Arunachalam Muruganantham, Paralympic gold medallist Mariyappan Thangavelu, farmer Nel Jayaraman and swimming champion Ilavazhagi have found a place in our textbooks. Reading their experiences will encourage students."