Sudha Murty facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sudha Murty
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Murty at Rashtrapati Bhavan in 2023
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| Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha | |
| Assumed office 8 March 2024 |
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| Nominated by | Droupadi Murmu |
| Constituency | Nominated (Philanthropy, Literature & Education) |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Sudha Kulkarni
19 August 1950 Shiggaon, Mysore State (present-day Karnataka), India |
| Spouse | |
| Children | Akshata Murty (daughter) Rohan Murty (son) |
| Relatives | Shrinivas Kulkarni (brother) Sunanda Kulkarni (sister) Gururaj Deshpande (brother-in-law) Rishi Sunak (son-in-law) |
| Alma mater | KLE Technological University (BE) Indian Institute of Science (ME) |
| Occupation |
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| Awards |
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| Organisation | Infosys Foundation |
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Notable work
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Sudha Murty (born 19 August 1950) is an Indian educator, author, and someone who gives a lot to charity (a philanthropist). She is the founder and chairperson of the Infosys Foundation, a non-profit organization that helps people. She is married to N. R. Narayana Murthy, who helped start the famous company Infosys.
In 2024, Sudha Murty was chosen to be a Member of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha. This is one of the two main parts of India's Parliament. She was nominated for her important work in social service and education. She received the Padma Shri award in 2006 and the Padma Bhushan award in 2023. These are two of the highest awards given to civilians in India.
Sudha Murty started her career in computer science and engineering. She is also part of public health projects with the Gates Foundation. She has helped create many orphanages and worked on projects to develop villages. She also supported giving computers and library books to all government schools in Karnataka. She even helped set up the Murty Classical Library of India at Harvard University.
Murty is well-known for her charity work and her books. She writes in both Kannada and English. Her novel Dollar Bahu was first written in Kannada. It was later made into a TV show by Zee TV in 2001. Another story by her, Runa, was made into a Marathi film called Pitruroon. Sudha Murty also acted in this film and in a Kannada film called Prarthana.
Contents
Early Life and School
Sudha Murty was born on 19 August 1950 in Shiggaon, Karnataka, India. Her family spoke the Kannada language. Her father, R. H. Kulkarni, was a surgeon, and her mother, Vimala Kulkarni, was a schoolteacher. She grew up with her parents and her mother's parents.
Her childhood experiences inspired her first famous book, How I Taught My Grandmother to Read, Wise and Otherwise and Other Stories. Sudha Murty studied Electrical and Electronics Engineering at KLE Technological University. She then earned a Master's degree in Computer Science from the Indian Institute of Science.
Her Career Journey
Sudha Murty made history by becoming the first female engineer hired at TATA Engineering and Locomotive Company (TELCO). This was India's largest car manufacturer at the time. She started as a Development Engineer in Pune and later worked in other cities. She had written a letter to the company's chairman, complaining that they only hired men. Because of her letter, she got a special interview and was hired right away. Later, she worked as a Senior Systems Analyst at the Walchand group of Industries.
In 1996, she started the Infosys Foundation. She retired from her role there in 2020. She also taught at Christ University. Sudha Murty has written many books, including novels, non-fiction, travel stories, and her own life experiences. Her books have been translated into many different Indian languages. She also wrote columns for English and Kannada newspapers.
Helping Others: Philanthropy
Sudha Murty's Infosys Foundation is a charity that helps many people. It was started in 1996. The foundation works on various projects to improve society.
Her Family Life
Sudha Murty is married to N. R. Narayana Murthy, who co-founded Infosys. They got married when she was working as an engineer at TELCO. They have two children: a daughter, Akshata Murty, and a son, Rohan Murty. Akshata Murty is a fashion designer and is married to Rishi Sunak, who was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. Rohan Murty is a computer scientist.
Her siblings include Dr. Sunanda Kulkarni, Caltech astrophysicist Shrinivas Kulkarni, and Jaishree Deshpande. Jaishree Deshpande is married to Gururaj Deshpande. They both helped start the Deshpande Center for Technological Innovation at MIT.
Awards and Recognition
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Sudha Murty has received many awards for her work and contributions:
- 2004: She received the Raja-Lakshmi Award from the Sri Raja-Lakshmi Foundation.
- 2006: She was honored with the Padma Shri, India's fourth highest civilian award.
- 2006: She also received the R.K. Narayana's Award for Literature.
- 2010: The Karnataka Government gave her the Daana Chintamani Attimabbe Award.
- 2011: She was given an honorary Doctor of Laws (LL.D) degree for helping to improve legal education in India.
- 2013: Both Sudha Murty and her husband, Narayan Murty, received the Basava Shree-2013 Award for their contributions to society.
- 2018: Murty won the Crossword Book Award in the popular (Non-Fiction) category.
- 2019: IIT Kanpur gave her an honorary Doctor of Science degree.
- 2023: She received the Padma Bhushan from the Government of India.
- 2023: She was awarded the Sahitya Akademi Bal Sahitya Puraskar, which is a literary award for children's literature.
- 2023: She received The Global Indian Award, which comes with $50,000. Her husband also received this award in 2014, making them the first couple to both receive it. She donated the award money to the Field Institute at the University of Toronto.
See also
In Spanish: Sudha Murthy para niños
