Palam Kalyanasundaram | |
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| Born | August 1940 (age 85) Melakarivelamkulam, Tirunelveli district, Tamil Nadu, India |
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| Organization | Paalam |
| Known for | Philanthropy, Social service |
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Palam Kalyanasundaram (bornc. August 1940) is an Indianlibrarian,philanthropist, andsocial worker fromTamil Nadu, India. He is known for his extensive charitable work, having reportedly donated all his earnings, including his salary throughout his 35-year career as alibrarian, his pension, and numerous cash awards, to charitable causes.[1][2] He was awarded thePadma Shri, India's fourth-highest civilian honor, in 2023 in the field of social work.[3][4]
Palam Kalyanasundaram was born in August 1940 in Melakarivelamkulam village in theTirunelveli district ofTamil Nadu, India.[5][better source needed] He lost his father when he was a child, and was raised by his mother, Thaayammal.[6]
Kalyanasundaram pursued higher education at theUniversity of Madras, where he earned a gold medal inLibrary Science.[7] He also holdsMaster of Arts degrees in Literature and History. His interest inTamil literature led the founder of MTT Hindu College to introduce the subject and sponsor his education.[6]
Kalyanasundaram worked as a librarian for 35 years at the Kumarkurupara Arts College inSrivaikuntam,Thoothukudi district, retiring in 1998.[8] A significant aspect of his philanthropic journey was the decision to donate all his earnings.[1] During the1962 Sino-Indian War, he donated his gold chain to the war fund,[1][9] an act acknowledged and felicitated by the then Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu,K. Kamaraj.[9]
Upon retirement, Kalyanasundaram also donated his pension arrears of₹10 lakh (US$12,000).[1] He is also reported to have donated prize money from various awards, including a sum of₹30 crore (US$3.5 million) that he received with a 'Man of the Millennium' award from some unidentified American organisation.[1][2]
Kalyanasundaram founded the Paalam (meaning "bridge" in Tamil) organization in 1998 after his retirement. The organization acts as a conduit, connecting donors with those in need and facilitating various social welfare activities.[8]
Kalyanasundaram lives inSaidapet,Chennai, and remains unmarried.[1] He has pledged his body and eyes to theTirunelveli Medical College for medical research and donation after his death.[8]