Thomas V. Kunnunkal (born 3 July 1926) is an Indian

Jesuit priest , image = Ihs-logo.svg , image_size = 175px , caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits , abbreviation = SJ , nickname = Jesuits , formation = , founders = ...

, educationist and writer. He is a former chairman of the

Central Board of Secondary Education The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) is a national level board of education in India for public and private schools, controlled and managed by the Government of India. Established in 1929 by a resolution of the government, the Board ...

(CBSE), a former director of the

Indian Social Institute The Indian Social Institute (ISI), founded in 1951 in Pune (India), is a Jesuit centre for research, training, and action for socio-economic development and human rights in India. Founded by Jerome D'Souza, in Pune, it was shifted to New Delhi ...

, New Delhi (2008–2009), and the President of the Islamic Studies Association, a non-governmental organization promoting religious harmony. The

Government of India The Government of India (ISO: ; often abbreviated as GoI), known as the Union Government or Central Government but often simply as the Centre, is the national government of the Republic of India, a federal democracy located in South Asia, ...

awarded him the fourth highest Indian civilian award of

Padma Shri Padma Shri ( IAST: ''padma śrī''), also spelled Padma Shree, is the fourth-highest civilian award of the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan. Instituted on 2 January 1954, the award is conf ...

in 1974.

Biography

Thomas Kunnunkal was born on 3 July 1926 in Alappuzha, a coastal town in the south Indian state of

Kerala Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South ...

, and completed his school education at a local boarding school. He completed his college education in India and later, in the US, majoring in English, Philosophy, Theology, Educational Administration and Educational Measurement, after which he joined the

Society of Jesus , image = Ihs-logo.svg , image_size = 175px , caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits , abbreviation = SJ , nickname = Jesuits , formation = , founders ...

on 20 June 1945. He started his career as the principal of St. Xavier's Senior Secondary School, New Delhi, and held the post for two terms (1962-1974 and 1977-1979). He headed the

of the Government of India from 1980 to 1987 and was the consultant to the

Ministry of Human Resource Development The Ministry of Education ( MoE; formerly the Ministry of Human Resource Development from 1985 to 2020) is a ministry of the Government of India, responsible for the implementation of the National Policy on Education. The Ministry is further d ...

for the turn-key project to establish the National Open School, New Delhi. When the institution was opened in 1989, Kunnunkal was appointed the chairman of the institution, a position he served in until 1992. He was associated with the ''Jesuit Education Association of India'' which controls 101 high schools and 25 colleges in India managed by the

Society of Jesus , image = Ihs-logo.svg , image_size = 175px , caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits , abbreviation = SJ , nickname = Jesuits , formation = , founders ...

, and was its president and the general secretary on different tenures. Kunnunkal has served two central government commissions, National Commission for Teachers (1983) and National Commission for Review of National Education Policy (1987) as a member. He held the post of research director of the

from 2008 to 2009 and was a founding member and former director of the Educational Planning Group (EPG) of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Delhi. He has also been associated with the ''Islamic Studies Association'' as its president and with ''Dharma Bharati Mission'' as an associate. He has published a book, ''The Role of Teachers in National Regeneration'', which was released in 2005. The

awarded him the civilian honour of

in 1974 and he was selected as an honorary fellow of the

Commonwealth of Learning The Commonwealth of Learning (COL) is an intergovernmental organisation of The Commonwealth headquartered in Metro Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Working collaboratively with governmental and nongovernmental organizations and other institu ...

, Vancouver, an intergovernmental organization under the

Commonwealth Heads of Government The Commonwealth Heads of Government (CHOG) is the collective name for the government leaders of the nations with membership in the Commonwealth of Nations. They are invited to attend Commonwealth Heads of Government Meetings every two years, ...

(CHOGM), which promotes education, in 2006.

Biography

See also

References

Further reading