Natesaganabadigal Ramaswami Ayyar (1896–1976) was an Indian educationist, social reformer and lawyer from Tiruchirapalli, in the south Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Early life and career Born in 1896 in an orthodox Hindu family, he started his career as a criminal lawyer, but abandoned his practice in the 1930s to start Savitri Vidyasala, a girls' school in Tiruchirapalli in 1938, when girls' education was a taboo in the society. The institution grew over the years into an educational group which included several institutions such as Savithri Vidyasala Hindu Girls’ Higher Secondary School, Seethalakshmi Ramaswami College, Kamakoti Vidyalaya and Padmabhushan Sri. N. Ramaswami Ayyar Memorial Polytechnic College for Girls, with a total strength of over 10,000 students. All the institutions are housed in N. Ramaswami Ayyar Educational Complex, a 30-acre complex and offer education from primary to post graduate levels as well as vocational courses. The Government of India awarded him the third highest civilian honour of the Padma Bhushan, in 1971, for his contributions to education. The youngest of his three sons, R. Panchapakesan, carries on with his father's efforts and is the head of the Group. Death Ayyar died in 1976, at the age of 80. References Recipients of the Padma Bhushan in social work 1896 births 1976 deaths Indian social reformers 20th-century Indian lawyers Scientists from Tiruchirappalli 20th-century Indian educational theorists Scholars from Tamil Nadu Recipients of the Padma Shri in social work