M.P. Vijayakumar is a retired Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer who has made significant contributions to the field of education and public administration in India. Over the course of his distinguished career, he has held several important positions in the Tamil Nadu state government, including serving as Commissioner of the Chennai Corporation, State Project Director of the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), and Collector of North Arcot district.
M.P. Vijayakumar is perhaps best known for his work on Activity Based Learning, a child-centered pedagogy aimed at improving the quality of elementary education in Tamil Nadu. During his time as Commissioner of the Chennai Corporation, he successfully implemented this program and later expanded it to 37,486 schools across the state. His efforts to improve education through Activity Based Learning earned him a nomination for the Prime Minister’s Award for Excellence in Public Administration in 2008.
In his role as a trustee of the Bannari Educational Trust, M.P. Vijayakumar is responsible for overseeing the Bannari Amman Institute of Technology. Under his leadership and guidance, the academic culture at the institute has changed dramatically, with students becoming more constructively engaged and involved in both technical and co-curricular activities. This has led to increased participation in national and international competitions and a significant improvement in student performance.
In conclusion, M.P. Vijayakumar is a highly accomplished and respected IAS officer who has dedicated his career to improving the quality of education and public administration in India. His work on Activity Based Learning and his leadership at Bannari Amman Institute of Technology demonstrates his commitment to creating meaningful, engaging learning experiences for students and to preparing them for success both in the classroom and beyond.
🌟1975 – Joined TN State Government service
🌟1981 – Gazetted Personal Assistant to the then Chief Minister Sri MGR
Served as Gazetted Personal Assistant to the then Chief Minister Sri MG Ramachandran from 1981-83
🌟1983 – CEO of a Public sector undertaking, as joint Director of Industries, General Manager in State Industries Promotion Corporation
Served the Industries department in various capacity as CEO of a Public sector undertaking, as joint Director of Industries, General Manager in State Industries Promotion Corporation etc. from 1983 – 1986
🌟1986 – General Manager of Tamilnadu Spirit Corporation Ltd
A Government Company that manufactured Country Liquor
🌟1987 – Managing Director Tamilnadu State Marketing Corporation Ltd.
A Government Company that handled IMFL as a whole sale licensee
🌟1989 – Managing Director of Southern Agrifurane Corporation Ltd
A Joint sector company which manufactured Furfurol from Bagasse and IMFL
🌟1990 – Joint Commissioner of Prohibition and Excise
Government authority incharge regulating the Liquor trade in the State
🌟1993 – Collector of North Arcot District at Vellore
Collector of North Arcot District at Vellore from 1993 – 96, Conceived and implemented Child Labour Abolition Project, evolved with the help of teachers and resources from Rishy valley satellite schools, Madanapally Chithur AP, a new methodology of teaching children at primary level in non-formal mode to educate the children redeemed from bondage, with UNICEF assistance trained about 8000 primary school teachers on the joy of learning. The Duthces of Kent UK visited the district to witness the intervention.
🌟1996 – Deputy Secretary and Additional Secretary of Primary Education
Took keen interest in Primary education and Teacher Education, as Deputy Secretary and Additional Secretary, took many initiatives to reform Primary Education and Teacher Education. Formed separated cadre of teacher educators by delinking it from School Education Directorate, developed new curriculum for Teacher education Diploma after 20 years, arranged for training of new Teacher Educators by getting resource from best National level teacher educator trainers, arranged for revising and reprinting of text books after training the book writers by Nationally best trainers. In primary education arranged for training of all primary teachers in the joy of learning methods to make the class room process as child centred and activity based.
🌟1997 – Director of Social Welfare (Child welfare and women welfare) & Director of Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS)
As Director of Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) Director, completely revamped the Anganwadi Canters, trained all Anganwadi workers on child-centric pedagogy, implemented the Swedish Project, refurbished all the orphanages, streamlined the adoption programme and drafted a new law to reform the Child Adoption Process
🌟2001- Registrar of Cooperative societies
As Registrar of Cooperative societies streamlined the purchase processes for procuring materials for supermarket, trained all the Primary Cooperative societies’ Secretaries on credit management, revamped the PDS by refurbishing the 16000 FairPrice shops, improved the functioning of Marketing Societies
🌟2002- Director of Maternal and Child Health and Reproductive Health and Project Director of Danish Health Project DANIDA
As Director of Maternal and Child Health and Reproductive Health and Project Director of Danish Health Project DANIDA improved the working of Primary Health centres Taluk Hospitals in delivery of better MCH services, achieved the highest number of sterilization surgeries in any year so far, initiated steps to formulate the Health System Project with the help of World Bank
🌟2003- Commissioner of Municipal Corporation of Chennai
Served as Commissioner of the Municipal Corporation of Chennai for three and half years which was the second longest serving term then for any Commissioner in 300 years of Chennai Municipal Corporation’s History.
Statistics – Family Welfare department as Commissioner of Chennai Corporation
🌟Other achievements
* During 2005-06 he introduced cervical cancer screening using VIA +ve method on a community based approach which was first of its kind for any public organisation.
* Introduced the Birth Companion Scheme (permitting an elderly relative woman to be present by the side of the mother during labour) which was again first of its kind for any public institution. Both schemes have become models and subsequently state government has introduced them in state government hospitals
* Introduced ‘door to door’ collection of garbage covering the entire Chennai city,
* Created New parks and refurbished all old Parks.
* Kept the city free from stray cattle menace by confiscating 2500 stray cattle.
* He also successfully implemented the ABC Programme (Animal Birth Control) and kept the city free from stray dog menace.
* Chennai Corporation collected the highest ever taxes and incurred the highest ever capital expenditure during his tenure.
He facilitated the conception and implementation of Activity Based Learning (ABL) in 264 schools in the Chennai Municipal Corporation. Activity-Based Learning (ABL) Video – YouTube
Between 2006 to July 2008 : (until the date of Superannuation from Government service) he served as State Project Director, SSA, Tamil Nadu. During this period he scaled ABL to the entire state covering 37486 schools.
🌟2006 – State Project Director, Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan
Until the date of Superannuation from Government service, served as State Project Director, Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (a Universal Elementary Education Project, Tamil Nadu. During this period he helped the transformation of all the 37486 schools in TN as activity based with a new methodology ABL.
Also facilitated evolving a new methodology Active Learning Methodology (ALM) for upper Primary and Secondary with the Help of resources from ‘The School’ of The Krishnamurthy Foundation of India which ensure active learning by every student instead of passive learning (Active Learning Methodology (ALM) Video – YouTube)
🌟2008 – Prime Minister’s Award for Excellence in Public Administration
🌟2008 – Superannauted from Government service
🌟2008 – Founded Bharathi Charitable Trust
Settled down in the native village, has undertaken the following service
Founded a trust by name Bharathi Charitable Trust to serve the deserving poor in the village. The trust’s activities include the following
1. Providing nutritious boiled gram (Sundal) to 150 school children (SC) studying in local Panchayat Union Elementary school every day in the morning. Most of the children come fasting to school as their parents being agricultural labourers had to leave the house about 6 AM every morning. This is being done for about 10 years.
2. Along with Aliyar Charitable Trust, we help educate about 60 girls every year to pursue their higher studies in college by covering their tuition fees. The intention is that no deserving girl after completing Higher Secondary should drop out due to a lack of financial assistance.
3. Adopted the local government hospital and maintained it for five years by completely looking after the sanitary work.
4. Adopted the local burial ground for five years and maintained it.
In addition to the above, started the vocational training center. At present, training in three trades are offered namely Tailoring, Computer and Bridal make up. About 15 trainees in every trade undergo the training. All necessary infrastructure has been created. Computers, 10 sewing machines, provided the required the furniture and hired a premises. All the training is free of cost.
🌟2014 – Independent Director, Bannari Amman Sugars Ltd
🌟2016 – Trustee-Bannari Amman Institute of Technology
Assisting Bannari Amman Institute of Technology in the advisory capacity in removing the hurdle in transforming the entire academic process as student centric, participatory, by incorporating skill building an inevitable element in the pedagogical process