“Discipline is extremely important for students. It is essential for them to respect their parents, listen to their teachers, and live a disciplined life in harmony with their friends and those around them,” said Mr. A. X. Alexander, IPS (Retd.), former Director General of Police, Tamil Nadu, while presenting prizes to the winners of the Thirukkural competitions organised by Shriram Ilakkiya Kazhagam.
Recently, on 30 August 2026, Shriram Ilakkiya Kazhagam organised Thirukkural speech, essay and drawing competitions for school and college students at Vels Vidyashram School, Pallavaram, Chennai. A total of 566 students participated in the competitions, including 254 students in the speech competition, 185 in the drawing competition and 127 in the essay competition.
Speaking after presenting prizes to the winners, former Director General of Police, Tamil Nadu, Mr. A. X. Alexander, IPS (Retd.), said, “It is distressing to see that substance abuse is increasing among students today. Therefore, students should stay away from substance abuse.
Similarly, social media is increasingly distracting students. Students should keep away from social media platforms such as YouTube, Instagram and Facebook. Instead, they should develop the habit of visiting libraries and reading books. Reading, studying and discussing are what help develop students’ knowledge and intellectual abilities.
Above all, discipline is extremely important. Students should follow basic values of discipline, such as respecting their parents, listening to and respecting their teachers,
and living harmoniously and respectfully with others,” he said.
The event was attended by Mrs. Khadeeja, Headmistress, Vels Vidyashram School; Mr. Madhivanan, Tamil Translation Scholar; Mr. George Stephen, Senior Advisor, Shriram Chits; Mr. Ravi, Deputy General Manager, Sriram Chits; and Mr. Aramudhan, Senior Regional Manager, among others.
Details of the First Prize Winners
Speech Competition – First Prize Winners:
Junior Category: K. Harisaran, Velammal Vidyalaya School, Vanagaram
Senior Category: P. Yazhini, Sethu Bhaskara Higher Secondary School,Ambattur
College Category: N. Yogaraghavan, P.S.G. College of Arts and Science, Coimbatore
Drawing Competition – First Prize Winners:
Junior Category: M. Jaishnavi, Velammal Vidyalaya Main School
Senior Category: S. Samritha, Velammal Vidyalaya, Mel Ayanambakkam
College Category: M. Salma, SASTRA University
Essay Competition – First Prize Winners:
Junior Category: N. Sithiya, Bharathi Matriculation School
Senior Category: Y. Prathisha, Bharathi Matriculation School
College Category: S. Azhagupandi, Anna University