Padman Arunachalam Muruganantham, a Coimbatore based entrepreneur who developed cost-efficient sanitary napkins, has found a place in Tamil Nadu school education department's Class XII zoology book.
It was when he got a call from his elementary school teacher recently that Arunachalam realised his concept of developing affordable sanitary pads was published in a book. The 56-year-old's life story and his invention were mentioned as a case study in chapter two (Human Reproduction) of Class XII zoology book. The zoology book is a part of revamped Class XII 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 the society," said the Padman Muruganantham.
Like students growing up studying life histories of Thomas Alva Edison, Marconi, and Albert Einstein, Muruganantham believed his case study might strike a chord with rural students. The Padmasree recipient also said the students once reading the case study can browse the internet to understand the concept from the grassroots level. He added, "Presently, there are many opportunities for the 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 has come up with an innovation. This might reform them from job seekers to job providers."
Arunachalam also said the newly launched TN school education's textbooks are well designed and attractive that includes facts and information at 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 the textbook. Reading their experience would encourage the students."
