Thiruvalluvar Day: T.N. CM Stalin presents awards to eminent personalities

On the occasion of Thiruvalluvar Day on Friday (January 16, 2026), Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin presented various awards to senior leaders and scholars during an event on the renovated Valluvar Kottam campus in Chennai. Mr. Stalin presented the Ayyan Thiruvalluvar Award for 2026 to scholar M.P. Sathiyavel Muruganar and the Perarignar Anna Award for 2025 to DMK general secretary and Minister Duraimurugan.

The Chief Minister presented the Thanthai Periyar Award for 2025 to Dravidar Kazhagam’s propaganda secretary and advocate A. Arulmozhi and the Annal Ambedkar Award for 2025 to Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) legislator M. Sinthanai Selvan. Mr. Stalin presented the Perunthalaivar Kamarajar Award for 2025 to Congress leader S.M. Hidayathullah and the Mahakavi Bharathiar Award for 2025 to poet Nellai Jayantha alias N.S. Ramasubramanian.

Lyricist Yuga Bharathi received the Pavendhar Bharathidasan Award for 2025 and retired IAS officer and former Tamil Nadu Chief Secretary V. Irai Anbu received the Thamizhthendral Thiru.Vi.Ka. Award for 2025. Teacher and scholar Su. Chellappa received the Muththamizh Kavalar Ki. Aa. Pe. Viswanatham Award for 2025 and former Rajya Sabha MP Vidhuthalai Virumbi received the Muthamizh Arignar Kalaignar Award for 2025.

Mr. Stalin presented the Ilakkiya Maamani Awards to three recipients: scholar and public speaker Tha. Ramalingam, writer and Communist Party of India (CPI) leader C. Mahendran, and scholar and columnist R. Narendrakumar. The award includes a cheque for ₹5 lakh, a one-sovereign gold medal, a citation, and a shawl. Minister Duraimurugan, Mr. Hidayathullah, and Mr. Irai Anbu donated their respective cheques of ₹5 lakh to the Chief Minister’s Public Relief Fund at the event.

Ministers M.P. Saminathan, P.K. Sekarbabu, Siva V. Meyyanathan and M. Mathiventhan; Chennai Mayor R. Priya; legislators N. Ezhilan, S.S. Balaji, and M. Babu; Chief Secretary N. Muruganandam; and senior officials participated.

Earlier in the day, the Chief Minister offered floral tributes to the statue of Tamil saint-poet Thiruvalluvar on the Valluvar Kottam premises.

At another event, Mr. Saminathan, Mr. Sekarbabu, and Ms. Priya, along with senior officials, paid floral tributes to the statue of Thiruvalluvar on the Marina beachfront. At Raj Bhavan, Governor R.N. Ravi offered floral tributes to the saint-poet’s statue.