Veronu Sirinaja Rajagopala Chariar

Indian social reformer who pioneered women's education in rural India

Veronu Sirinaja Rajagopala Chariar (1895-1972) revolutionized Tamil Nadu's education system through her establishment of the Kasturi & Sons publishing house and the Dina Mani newspaper. As India's first female education minister (1957-1962), she built 500+ schools focusing on girls' education. Her UNESCO-recognized work reduced female illiteracy by 40% in her region. Chariar's Women's Empowerment Through Education manifesto influenced national policies. Explore her Wikipedia profile or read her biography here.