Dr. Ponnavaikko Murugesan

Academic leader and innovator in power systems, Tamil computing, and higher education reform.

Biography (English)

Born in 1946 into a low-income family at Sengamedu village in the South Arcot region of Tamil Nadu, Dr. Murugesan Ponnavaikko’s rise to national prominence has been fuelled by perseverance, scholarship, and the steadfast encouragement of his late spouse, Mrs. Booma Ponnavaikko. He completed his B.E. (1969) and M.Sc. (Engg.) (1972) in Power Systems from the College of Engineering, Guindy, followed by a Ph.D. on Optimal Distribution System Planning from IIT Delhi (1983) that introduced original optimisation models now cited as “Ko Models.”

Across a five-decade career spanning consultancy, research, teaching, academic administration, and public service, he has contributed to institutions in both the public and private sectors. His early assignments traversed the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board, Indian Institute of Science, Southern Regional Electricity Board, BHEL (Power Engineering Division), and the Rural Electrification Corporation in New Delhi, where his distribution planning models helped pioneer large-scale energy conservation initiatives across State Electricity Boards. He devised national-level approaches for balancing long-term load and generation across regional grids by factoring load forecasts, rainfall projections, reservoir water management, and power station maintenance schedules. Internationally, he served as Advisor and Board Secretary of the Electrical Construction Company in Libya and as Visiting Professor at the Higher Institute of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Hoon.

From 1989 onwards Dr. Ponnavaikko headed Computer Science and Engineering departments at Mookambigai Engineering College, Regional Engineering College (now NIT), Tiruchirappalli, and Crescent Engineering College, Chennai, where he introduced advanced laboratories and programme innovations. He later designed the landmark M.Phil. (Computer Science) Summer Sequential Programme for Bharathidasan University. His leadership portfolio includes Vice-Chancellor of Bharathidasan University, SRM University, and Bharath University; Provost of Vinayaka Mission University; Founding Director of Tamil Virtual University; Chairman of the IEEE India Council; and Founding Chair of the International Forum for Information Technology in Tamil (INFITT) and the International Association of Tamil Research (IATR).

As Founding Director of Tamil Virtual University he launched the country’s earliest internet-based virtual education initiative, assembling a comprehensive digital library on Tamil language, literature, and culture for learners worldwide and partnering with organisations such as the California Tamil Academy. His tenure at Bharathidasan and SRM universities saw the rollout of skill-based curricula, empowerment programmes for differently-abled communities, and the creation of research infrastructure including the Nanotechnology Research Centre, Earthquake Research Centre, Learning Through Discovery Lab, and an interdisciplinary School of Indian Systems of Medicine. These efforts catalysed patents, research publications, and breakthrough projects such as the SRM nanosatellite and nickel nanodots for computer memory.

Dr. Ponnavaikko’s technical pursuits span power systems, computer science, curriculum design, and Tamil computing. He has published over 110 technical papers, authored 22 books (including government-issued computer science textbooks in Tamil and English), supervised more than 22 Ph.D. scholars, and delivered upwards of 40 research and consultancy projects. Nationally, he has served on multiple UGC and AICTE expert committees, including the “National Initiatives on Engineering Experimentation,” influencing higher education policy and quality benchmarks.

Educational Qualifications

Degree Specialisation Institution Year
B.E. Electrical Engineering College of Engineering, Guindy (Madras University) 1969
M.Sc. (Engg.) Power Systems Engineering College of Engineering, Guindy (Madras University) 1972
Ph.D. Optimal Distribution System Planning Indian Institute of Technology Delhi 1983
Certificate Operations Research in Practice National Institute of Industrial Engineering, Mumbai 1981

Significant Contributions

  • Developed original mathematical models, methods, and engineer-friendly nomograms—collectively known as Ko Models—as ready reckoners for electrical distribution system planning and analysis.
  • Pioneered internet-based virtual education in India by establishing the Tamil Virtual University for the Government of Tamil Nadu, making Tamil language, literature, and culture resources accessible worldwide.
  • Spearheaded the Tamil Nadu government’s successful effort to standardise the digital encoding of Tamil characters in partnership with the Unicode Consortium and the global Tamil computing community.
  • As Vice-Chancellor of Bharathidasan, SRM, and Bharath universities, introduced employability-focused, skill-based curricula and empowerment programmes driving inclusive economic development for differently-abled communities in the universities’ service regions.
  • Authored 110+ technical papers, 22 books (including government school computer science textbooks in Tamil and English), executed more than 40 research projects, and supervised over 22 doctoral scholars in power systems, computer science and engineering, curriculum planning, and Tamil computing.
  • Served on national expert panels of the UGC and AICTE to advance higher education standards, notably contributing to the “National Initiatives on Engineering Experimentation.”

Impact and Outcomes

  • Ko Model-based distribution planning techniques continue to guide utilities across India in improving efficiency and conserving energy.
  • Skill-based courses and empowerment programmes launched under his vice-chancellorship remain embedded in university offerings and community outreach, continuing to uplift graduates and differently-abled citizens.
  • Research ecosystems he cultivated at Bharathidasan and SRM universities have increased faculty and student research output, enabling the institutions to gain national recognition for innovation.
  • The Tamil Virtual University’s comprehensive digital library, built under his leadership, continues to serve the Tamil diaspora, researchers, and lifelong learners worldwide.
  • Ongoing stewardship in Tamil computing helps academia and industry navigate the evolution of digital Tamil, building on his foundational work in character encoding standards.

Professional Affiliations

  • Fellow of the Institution of Engineering and Technology (FIET, UK).
  • Senior Member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE, USA).
  • Life Member of the Indian Society for Technical Education.
  • Life Member of the Indian Officers’ Association.

வாழ்க்கை வரலாறு (தமிழ்)

முனைவர் மு. பொன்னவைக்கோவின் தன்விவரக்குறிப்பு பிறப்பு தமிழகத்தில் ‘சான்றோர் உடைத்துத் தொண்டைநாடு’ என்னும் சிறப்புடைய முந்தைய தென்னாற்காடு மாவட்டத்தில் (இப்போதைய விழுப்புரம் மாவட்டம்) வானூர் வட்டத்தில் உள்ள செங்கமேடு என்னும் சிற்றூரில் ஊர் போற்றும் உத்தமர்களாய், பலரும் பாராட்டும் வகையில் வாழ்ந்து வந்த பாரி வள்ளல் வழித்தோன்றல்களாகிய தெய்வத்திரு. சு.முருகேச உடையார் தெய்வத்திருவாட்டி மு.பொன்னிக்கண்ணு அம்மையாரின் இளையமகனாக 1946-ஆம் ஆண்டு பிறந்தவர். தொடக்கக்கல்வி தனது கல்வியை 1950-ஆம் ஆண்டு திண்ணைப்பள்ளியில் தொடங்கி, முதல் வகுப்பு முதல் ஐந்தாம் வகுப்பு வரை செங்கமேட்டு அரசுத் தொடக்கப்பள்ளியில் 1952 முதல் 1956- ஆம் ஆண்டுகளில் பயின்று, தென்னாற்காடு மாவட்டம் வழுதாவூரில் உள்ள அரசு உயர்நிலைப்பள்ளி ஆறாம் வகுப்பு முதல் பதினோராம் வகுப்பு வரை 1957 முதல் 1963 –ஆம் ஆண்டுகளில் பயின்று பள்ளிகளில், எல்லா நிலைகளிலும் முதல் மாணவனாகத் தேறியவர்.. உயர் கல்வி B.E.(Electrical) 1969 கிண்டி பொறியியற் கல்லூரி, சென்னை M.Sc. (Engg.) 1972 கிண்டி பொறியியற் கல்லூரி, சென்னை Ph.D. (Power System Planning) 1983 IIT, புதுதில்லி