G. Vanmikanathan
- May 31, 1989
- 88 years
About G. Vanmikanathan
G. Vanmikanathan, 88, Indian scholar and author.
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Full Biography
|G. Vanmikanathan (6 January 1901 – 31 May 1989), better known as G. V. Pillai, was a Tamil scholar, author, founder and organiser of the 'Tirukkural Prachar Sangh'. He is known for translating the Tirukkural into English.
Biography
Vanmikanathan was born in Tiruchirapalli and studied history, economics and Latin in S. P. G College (now Bishop Heber), obtaining a B.A. He served for 30 years in the North Western Railway at Karachi and in central government service in Bombay and Delhi. He retired in 1956 as deputy secretary of the Central Secretariat. The government honoured him with the title of 'Rao Sahib' for his civilian service during the 1939–1946 war.
Vanmikanathan had a scholarly knowledge in Hindi and English, with working knowledge of Sanskrit and Bengali. He studied the Tirukkural and the Tiruvachakam, and in 1969 translated the Kural text into English in prose. He founded the 'Tirukkural Prachar Sangh' at Tiruchirapalli.
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Sources
- Wikipedia
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G._Vanmikanathan
- CC BY-SA 4.0
- Sep 26, 2026
- View article
- Sep 26, 2026
Trivia & Knowledge· 16 questions
Questions drawn from G. Vanmikanathan's archived record and the sources above.
1.In which city was G. Vanmikanathan born?
- A.Karachi
- B.Delhi
- C.Bombay
- D.Tiruchirapallicorrect
G. Vanmikanathan was born in Tiruchirapalli.
Source: biography section
2.What was G. Vanmikanathan better known as?
- A.Tirukkural Scholar
- B.Railway Master
- C.G. V. Pillaicorrect
- D.Rao Sahib
G. Vanmikanathan was better known as G. V. Pillai.
Source: biography header
3.At which institution did G. Vanmikanathan study history, economics, and Latin?
- A.Central Secretariat
- B.S. P. G Collegecorrect
- C.Karachi Railway Academy
- D.Central Institute of Classical Tamil
G. Vanmikanathan studied history, economics and Latin in S. P. G College.
Source: biography section
4.For how many years did G. Vanmikanathan serve in the North Western Railway?
- A.20 years
- B.30 yearscorrect
- C.40 years
- D.10 years
G. Vanmikanathan served for 30 years in the North Western Railway at Karachi.
Source: biography section
5.What government position did G. Vanmikanathan hold at the time of his retirement in 1956?
- A.Head of the Tirukkural Prachar Sangh
- B.Deputy secretary of the Central Secretariatcorrect
- C.Railway Minister of Karachi
- D.Scholar of the Central Institute
G. Vanmikanathan retired in 1956 as deputy secretary of the Central Secretariat.
Source: biography section
6.For what reason did the government honour G. Vanmikanathan with the title 'Rao Sahib'?
- A.For his academic excellence in Latin
- B.For translating the Tirukkural into English
- C.For founding the Tirukkural Prachar Sangh
- D.For his civilian service during the 1939–1946 warcorrect
The government honoured G. Vanmikanathan with the title of 'Rao Sahib' for his civilian service during the 1939–1946 war.
Source: biography section
7.Which language did G. Vanmikanathan possess a working knowledge of, rather than scholarly knowledge?
- A.Hindi
- B.English
- C.Latin
- D.Sanskritcorrect
G. Vanmikanathan had a scholarly knowledge in Hindi and English, with working knowledge of Sanskrit and Bengali.
Source: biography section
8.In what year did G. Vanmikanathan translate the Kural text into English?
- A.1956
- B.1901
- C.1969correct
- D.1989
In 1969, G. Vanmikanathan translated the Kural text into English in prose.
Source: biography section
9.What organization did G. Vanmikanathan found and organize?
- A.S. P. G College Alumni
- B.Tirukkural Prachar Sanghcorrect
- C.Central Secretariat
- D.North Western Railway Association
G. Vanmikanathan was the founder and organiser of the 'Tirukkural Prachar Sangh'.
Source: biography header
10.Where was the 'Tirukkural Prachar Sangh' founded by G. Vanmikanathan?
- A.Delhi
- B.Bombay
- C.Tiruchirapallicorrect
- D.Karachi
G. Vanmikanathan founded the 'Tirukkural Prachar Sangh' at Tiruchirapalli.
Source: biography section
11.What academic degree did G. Vanmikanathan obtain from S. P. G College?
- A.M.A.
- B.PhD
- C.B.Sc.
- D.B.A.correct
G. Vanmikanathan studied history, economics and Latin in S. P. G College, obtaining a B.A.
Source: biography section
12.Besides the Tirukkural, which other work did G. Vanmikanathan study?
- A.The Upanishads
- B.The Vedas
- C.The Tiruvachakamcorrect
- D.The Bhagavad Gita
G. Vanmikanathan studied the Tirukkural and the Tiruvachakam.
Source: biography section
13.On what date did G. Vanmikanathan pass away?
- A.6 January 1901
- B.31 May 1989correct
- C.6 January 1969
- D.31 May 1956
G. Vanmikanathan passed away on 31 May 1989.
Source: biography header
14.What is the modern name of the S. P. G College where G. Vanmikanathan studied?
- A.Central Secretariat College
- B.Central Institute
- C.Tiruchirapalli University
- D.Bishop Hebercorrect
G. Vanmikanathan studied at S. P. G College, which is now known as Bishop Heber.
Source: biography section
15.What format was G. Vanmikanathan's 1969 English translation of the Kural text written in?
- A.Prosecorrect
- B.Poetry
- C.Verse
- D.Drama
In 1969, G. Vanmikanathan translated the Kural text into English in prose.
Source: biography section
16.On what date was G. Vanmikanathan born?
- A.31 May 1989
- B.6 January 1901correct
- C.31 May 1969
- D.6 January 1956
G. Vanmikanathan was born on 6 January 1901.
Source: biography header
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