G. Viswanathan

Govindasamy Viswanathan, the founder and chancellor of VIT University in India, was born on 8 December 1938 in a remote village in the south Indian state of Tamil Nadu. He served as a Member of Parliament and as a Member of the Legislative Assembly of Tamil Nadu. He was elected to the Tamil Nadu legislative assembly as an Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam candidate from Anaicut constituency in the 1980 election and from Arcot constituency in 1991 election.

G. Viswanathan was the sixth child to Thiru. Govindasamy and Tmt. Shrimathi, born on 8 December 1938 in Kothakuppam — a small village in Gudiyattam Taluk of Vellore district.

He started his schooling at the house of Thiru. Natesa Mudaliar where the students used to assemble, as there were no formal or regular schools in villages as remote as Kothakuppam. His inquisitiveness and good oratorical skills were identified and tapped by his first school teacher Pattu Ranganathan. Ranganathan started a students’ forum and conducted oratorical competitions every week; Viswanathan participated eagerly and honed his skills. He was a voracious reader and spent his leisure time reading magazines borrowed from his teacher.

As a high school student Viswanathan was an all-rounder and excelled in studies and sports.

Dr. Viswanathan completed the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School in 2003. He excelled in academics and went on to obtain master's degree in Economics from Loyola College, and completed Law from Madras University. His leadership skills were noticed by C.N. Annadurai and the DMK party chose him to contest the elections in 1967. He entered the Indian parliament representing the aspirations of around 500,000 people of his constituency.

Currently, Dr. Viswanathan holds these offices:

• Chancellor, VIT University, Vellore
• Chancellor, VIT University, Chennai
• Chairman and Managing Trustee North Arcot Educational and Charitable Trust, Vellore
• President, Friends of United States, Chennai
• Executive President, The Centenarian Trust, Chennai
• Vice President, Thiru. Vi.Ka — Dr. Mu.Va. Educational Trust, Chennai
• President, Universal Higher Education Trust, NGO, Vellore