Yovanraj Arumugam, who grew up near Auroville and went to college in Puducherry, is looking forward to sharing the experience of watching the Bastille Day parade in Paris with the French President.
“I have a lot of expectations from my visit. It will be the experience of a lifetime,” said Mr. Arumugam, after he won the LabCitoyen 2015 award.
He was presented with award by Olivier Litvine, Director, Alliance Francaise of Puducherry at a programme on Thursday.
LabCitoyen is a competition organised by the Institut Francais (French Institute) in Paris which offers young people from around the world a chance to win an all-expenses-paid trip to Paris to participate in a 10 day conference from July 5 to 15.
This year’s theme concerns human rights and environmental challenges ahead of the United Nations Climate Change Conference COP21 which will be held in Paris in December this year. An international team of students, including Mr. Arumugam, will participate in debates, discussions and workshops revolving around the theme.
This is the first time that a person from Puducherry has won the competition, said Mr. Litvine. Eligibility for the competition included good proficiency in French (B1 level). Contestants had to write an essay and give an oral presentation on their work. “Yovanraj carries on his shoulder the responsibility and joy of representing India in France,” said Mr. Litvine.
Mr. Arumugam comes from a modest background, helping his father, a taxi driver in his work, while pursuing his studies. A student of the Udavi School in Auroville, he took up B.A. French at the Achariya Arts and Science College, while also completing advanced levels at the Alliance Francaise in Puducherry.
He has worked as a tourist guide and volunteered with Sadhana Forest in Auroville. Mr. Arumugam was also part of a contingent of students sent by the Alliance Francaise to Reunion Island for an educational and linguistic visit last year.
“Yovanraj has shown anything done with passion will take you to great heights,” said J. Arawindhan, Chief Mentor, Achariya Group of Educational Institutions. Mr. Arawindhan added that just as the knowledge of English gave Indians an advantage in Information Technology, people from Puducherry will have an upper hand in different fields in the future with a good knowledge of French. He announced that French classes would be made mandatory in the Achariya schools and colleges.
