Prof.
John Kurakar
Key
Facts & Background
He served as the Head of the oriental languages
of St.Gregorios College,Kottarakara.
He holds M.phil on short story and literature
He is deeply involved in
inter-faith and peace-building work — notably with the United Religions
Initiative (URI): he has served as Asia Region
Trusty and president
of South India / Sri Lanka regionHe has authored many books (15+),
edited journals, and conducted many National
seminars’
He was born in 1952 (some
sources) in Kottarakkara, in the Kollam district of Kerala. His father is P. G. Mathew Kurakar, and
mother is Mrs. Thankamma Mathew.
Educational path: Attended St. Gregorios College, Kottarakkara, NSS
College Nilamel, Catholicate College Pathanamthitta, and University Centre
Kariavattom.
He served as Professor (and Head of the
Malayalam Department) at St. Gregorios College, Kottarakkara, for around 30
years.
Academic & Literary
Contributions
·
As a professor of Malayalam literature, he influenced
generations of students in Kottarakkara region.
·
He is a prolific writer: The blog-based biodata claims 16,000 + articles
on varied topics such as literature, culture, science, economics, social
issuesSome of his publications / books include: Upanyasa Manjari, Bhasha Bhushanam, Bhasha Sodhini, Kerala History, Window of Knowledge,
Quiz-Quiz.
·
He is actively involved
in inter-faith and cultural promotion. He serves (or has served) as a Global
Council Trustee of United Religions Initiative (URI) for Asia. He holds the position of State President
of Kerala Kavya Kala Sahithya (a literary & educational organisation)
He is (or has been)
President of Kerala Palliative Care Initiative — thus contributing in
healthcare/social welfare domains
He has led environmental and local
community initiatives: rain-harvesting, bio-gas from cow-dung & garbage,
stream/river protection campaigns, development projects like “Meenpidippara
Tourism Project”.
Honours & Recognition
·
The college where he served, St. Gregorios College, has
instituted a “Prof.
John Kurakar Endowment Scholarship” in the Malayalam department
(2007) to commemorate his retirement and service
·
He received awards such as the “Pravasi Bharathi Vidya Srestha
Award-2016” for his education & inter-faith work.
·
He is married to Molly Jacob, a retired professor of St.
Gregorios College. They have two children: daughter Dr. Manju Kurakar
(Assistant Professor, Medical College, Pune) and son Manu Kurakar (Assistant
Manager—Systems, SBI, Mumbai)
·
Here are some of the major publications attributed to
Prof. John Kurakar based on available sources. Please note that many entries
are from personal/secondary sources and some details (publisher, year, ISBN)
may not be fully verified.
|
Title |
|
|
Upanyasa Manjari |
|
|
Bhasha Bhushanam |
|
|
Bhasha Sodhini |
|
|
Kerala History |
|
|
Window of Knowledge |
|
|
Quiz-Quiz |
|
|
Vasanthom Valareyakle |
|
|
A jna Theeram Thedy Good Morning Doctor (
Malayalam And English) Pinnitta vazhikal p.g Mathew Memorial
book vayojanangalum
palliative careum |
Prof John Kurakarhas
written scripts for 15 short films: “ഉണരൂ വേഗം നീ”, “വിൽക്കാനുണ്ട് വിദ്യ”, “കോടീശ്വരൻ”,
“ദര്പ്പണം”, “ചീട്ടു കോട്ടാരം”, “ഗുഡ് മോര്ണിംഗ് ഡോക്ടര് etc
Here are some of the
awards and recognitions received by Prof. John Kurakar:
·
He received the Pravasi Bharathi Vidya Srestha Award‑2016 on 11
January 2016 at V.J.T Hall, Thiruvananthapuram, for his work in education and
his activities with United Religions Initiative (URI).
·
He was honoured with “Bharatheeya
Guru Sreshta” (or similar wording) by the same organisation,
recognising his social service and inter-faith work. He received cash awards and merit
certificates for five consecutive years (1982-1987) for his
contributions to adult education in Kerala.
Notable
Awards & Recognitions
1. Pravasi
Bharathi Vidya Srestha Award – 2016
On January 11, 2016, Prof. John Kurakar was honored with the Pravasi Bharathi
Vidya Srestha Award at V.J.T Hall, Thiruvananthapuram. This award recognized
his dedicated work in the field of education and his activities with United
Religions Initiative (URI) in India.
2. Cash
Awards & Merit Certificates (1982–1987)
For his dedicated service in the field of adult education, Prof. Kurakar
received cash awards and merit certificates continuously for five years from
1982 to 1987. These accolades were bestowed upon him by the Kerala State
Government, recognizing his significant contributions to adult and continuing
education programs. Global Council Trustee of United Religions Initiative
(URI)
After his retirement, Prof. Kurakar was elected as a Global Council Trustee of
United Religions Initiative, an international interfaith organization
constituted for the maintenance of peace and harmony in the world. He has been
an active global member, attending many international conferences and meetings
of URI, including the 6th World Parliament of Religions in Salt Lake City.
These awards and
recognitions highlight Prof. Kurakar's multifaceted contributions to society,
spanning education, social service, and interfaith dialogue
