Awards

Award

The Forum’s award was named after Mr. K. Chidambaram, founder Chairman and the Patron of the Forum.

Mr. K. Chidambaram has served in the department of fisheries of erstwhile Madras Presidency, later in Tamil Nadu and Gujarat. Rose to Assistant Fisheries Development Advisor in the central Ministry of Agriculture, played a pivotal role in establishing the Indo-Norway Project in Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. Elevated to Special Officer in Ministry of Commerce, New Delhi. Became the founder Director of Marine Products Export Development Authority, Kochi. Mr. K. Chidambaram along with state/central/international fisheries expert established the Fisheries Technocrats Forum at Chennai in 1991 and later named as founder Chairman and Patron of the Fisheries Technocrats Forum. He was born on 9-2-1918 and reached heavenly abode on 19-1-2003.

The members of the Forum usually nominate those who have significantly contributed in fisheries, aquaculture and allied subjects and honour them with K. Chidambaram memorial Award. The award in the form of a memento and certificate, is presented to the winners annually since 1999.

Category-wise:

Fish/Shrimp farmers: 24

Fish processors: 2

Fisheries administrators: 1

Fisheries Scientists: 30

Fisheries technical officers: 3

Professors: 7

Postgraduate students: 2

Ladies among the awardees: 11

This award has helped and elevated many awardees in their career and life: some to Director of national fisheries institutions, Director General of an autonomous body and many got promotion and few in foreign assignment. Thus, the objective of the Award of the Forum has been full-filled in recognizing the talented Indian fisheries personnel.

Late Mr. A. Sreenivasan has donated a considerable sum and wished that the interest accrued on the donated amount to be spent in the form of a memento and certificate to the college students who could speak on any discipline of fisheries and aquaculture, in order to spread the importance of fisheries among the student community. The daughter of late Mr A.X. Arockiasamy, former Deputy Director of Fishereies also donated a sum with the same objective as mentioned above. In order to encourage both undergraduate and post-graduate students studying Zoology and Biotechnology in colleges of Chennai, Madurai and Trichy were invited to give a talk in any discipline of fisheries and aquaculture. The best three students were awarded each year since 2011, with a memento and certificate.