Sishya
New No. 2, PADMANABHA NAGAR,
ADYAR, CHENNAI – 600 020
The KIT Thomas Oration is an annual event held to commemorate the memory of the founder Mr. K. I. Thomas. An eminent speaker is invited to address the senior students, the faculty, parents, distinguished guest and Alumni of the Lawrence School Lovedale and Sishya on different issues, mainly pertaining to education.
This is in every sense a Sishya ‘Special’. Each year, Sishya invites distinguished speakers from different walks of life who have made a mark in their chosen fields to deliver an address. The gesture underpins and applauds KIT Thomas’ vision – the ideal of encouraging Sishya students to develop a probing mind and to pursue excellence in any area they are passionate about. The lecture succeeds in provoking curiosity and widening the students’ understanding that there are a myriad ways of charting one’s future. The KIT Thomas Memorial Oration, which is open to the public, has seen notable and eminent speakers. Among them are Rear Admiral K.R. Menon, MSSRF Chairman M.S. Swaminathan, former BBC Bureau Chief Mark Tully, Author and Diplomat Shashi Tharoor, the spiritual leader Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev, to name a few.
This year, the oration was held on the 10th of August. Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, Deputy Director General (Programmes), World Health Organisation, was the Chief Guest for the occasion. The hall was packed to capacity and the topic ‘Ebola and Nipah – Birds of a feather’ was of great interest to all.
This year, the oration was held on the 9th of April 2024. Mr. Prabhu Chawla, Editorial Director - the New Indian Express, was the orator.
This year, the oration was held on the 12th of April. Mr. Palanivel Thiagarajan, Finance Minister of Tamilnadu, was the orator for the evening.
This year, the oration was held on the 8th of April 2019. Sri. Madhukarnath Ji, popularly known as Sri. M - Himalayan Mystic and Yogi, was the Chief Guest for the occasion.
Mr. S. Gurumurthy, political commentator and economist was the Chief Guest for the occasion. The hall was packed to capacity and the topic 'Economic Model Suited to India' was of great interest to all.
The oration was held on the 17th of June 2015. Mr. Yogendra Yadav, sociologist and popular psephologist, was the Chief Guest on this occasion. The topic of his speech ‘Rethinking Revolution’ was of great interest to all.
Mr. Vijay Amritraj, legendary tennis player turned commentator, was the Chief Guest at this oration held on the 25th of July. The topic ‘Does Education get in the way of a Professional Sportsman’ was of great interest...
This year Mrs. Brinda Somaya, Architect and Urban Conservationist, was the Chief Guest at the KIT Thomas Oration. The topic ‘Weaving Architecture - Conserving the Old, Building the New’ was of great interest to all.
This years Oration was held on the 5th of April. Yogi, mystic and visionary, Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev, founder of Isha Foundation was the Chief Guest. The topic “Education – Expanding Horizons” was of great interest to ...