Three cheers to TNAU

Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) was established to produce technically savvy agricultural graduates. But the byproduct appears to be a range of civil servants who have now come to occupy senior positions in administration.
Days after one of TNAU’s alumnus Irai Anbu became chief secretary, it is the turn of another alumnus C Sylendra Babu to occupy the top seat in the state police department on Tuesday.
On Wednesday yet another key posting – vice chancellor of Salem Periyar University – was also that of TNAU alumnus.
R Jagannathan has also worked as the dean agriculture, professor and head, agricultural meteorology/agro-climatic research centre in TNAU.
Every year at least five of TNAU alumni crack UPSC and go on to occupy high positions in police and other departments.
“It is the academic ambience in TNAU and its affiliated colleges and the motivation we offer to the students that should be credited for such high numbers of our alumni cracking UPSC,” says Prof K Krishnamurthy, secretary of TNAU Alumni Association and former dean of Agri College and Research Institute, Madurai. Krishnamurthy himself aspired to become a civil servant but had to drop the idea due to eligibility criteria, but later had a stint as advisor for UPSC. Because of his association with UPSC, he knew the interview methods and wanted to train students.
“I wanted other students to get what I could not,’’ he said. Among the first to get coached was former state health secretary V K Subburaj who eventually became the first from TNAU to crack UPSC in 1978.
After Subburaj became an IAS he visited TNAU and gave speeches to the students which motivated many. “At that time, Sylendra Babu as well as ADGP M Ravi were students and got inspired to pursue civil services,” he said.
Sylendra Babu has on multiple occasions credited TNAU as well as Krishnamurthi for his achievements. Soon it became a culture of sorts for students in TNAU, Coimbatore, as well as its affiliated colleges to prepare for UPSC. Some also chose BSc agriculture with the objective of later preparing for UPSC.
Not just Irai Anbu, former chief secretary K Shanmugam was also an alumnus of TNAU, beside former west zone IG Periaiah, central zone IG V Balakrishnan, IAS officer Amutha and joint secretary of department of Atomic Energy, Mumbai, Mervin Alexander.