Thomas Kunnunkal | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1926-07-03)3 July 1926 (age 99) |
| Occupation(s) | Catholic priest, educationist |
| Awards | Padma Shri Commonwealth of Learning Fellow |
Thomas V. Kunnunkal (born 3 July 1926) is an IndianJesuit priest, educationist[1] and writer.[2] He is a former chairman of theCentral Board of Secondary Education (CBSE),[3] a former director of theIndian Social Institute, New Delhi (2008–2009),[4][5] and the President of the Islamic Studies Association,[6] a non-governmental organization promoting religious harmony.[7] TheGovernment of India awarded him the fourth highest Indian civilian award ofPadma Shri in 1974.[8]
Thomas Kunnunkal was born on 3 July 1926 inAlappuzha, a coastal town in the south Indian state ofKerala, and completed his school education at a local boarding school.[2] He completed his college education in India and later, in the US,[9] majoring in English, Philosophy, Theology, Educational Administration and Educational Measurement, after which he joined theSociety of Jesus on 20 June 1945.[2] He started his career as the principal of St. Xavier's Senior Secondary School, New Delhi, and held the post for two terms (1962-1974 and 1977-1979).[10] He headed theCentral Board of Secondary Education of the Government of India from 1980 to 1987[2] and was the consultant to theMinistry of Human Resource Development for the turn-key project to establish theNational Open School, New Delhi.[9] When the institution was opened in 1989, Kunnunkal was appointed the chairman of the institution,[11] a position he served in until 1992.[2] He was associated with theJesuit Education Association of India which controls 101 high schools and 25 colleges in India managed by theSociety of Jesus, and was its president and the general secretary on different tenures.[12]
Kunnunkal has served two central government commissions, National Commission for Teachers (1983) and National Commission for Review of National Education Policy (1987) as a member.[2] He held the post of research director of theIndian Social Institute from 2008 to 2009 and was a founding member and former director of the Educational Planning Group (EPG) of theRoman Catholic Archdiocese of Delhi.[2][13] He has also been associated with theIslamic Studies Association as its president[7][14] and withDharma Bharati Mission[15] as an associate.[16] He has published a book,The Role of Teachers in National Regeneration, which was released in 2005.[16] TheGovernment of India awarded him the civilian honour ofPadma Shri in 1974 and he was selected as an honorary fellow of theCommonwealth of Learning, Vancouver, an intergovernmental organization under theCommonwealth Heads of Government (CHOGM), which promotes education, in 2006.[2][9]
