Draft:Sushma Shankar

Dr. Sushma Shankar, (born on May 1, 1970) is a prominent figure in the field of literature and language. She is widely recognized as a Poetess, Translator, and Writer, and serves as the Chief Editor of the Kannada language children's monthly magazine called Thodalnudi. Additionally, she holds the position of President at the Dravida Bhasha Translators Association.

At the age of 50, Dr. Sushma Shankar achieved a significant milestone by earning her Doctorate Degree from the Department of Kannada Language and Translation Studies at Dravidian University, Kuppam, Andhra Pradesh. Her academic pursuits reflect her strong belief in the idea that individuals should strive to understand their own path and engage in the process of discovering the right direction to achieve their goals. This, she believes, fosters a conscious approach, making the journey toward one's desired objectives smoother.

Dr. Sushma Shankar's noteworthy work and contributions have played a vital role in bridging the gap between different states and languages. She has served as a significant milestone in this regard. Her dedication and commitment to the Kannada language and literature have not gone unnoticed. In recognition of her outstanding service, one of the well-known Kannada news channels, Public TV, honored her with the title of "Public Hero."

Dr. Sushma Shankar's life and achievements serve as a testament to her commitment to the promotion of language, literature, and cultural understanding. Her contributions have had a positive impact on the field of literature, and her recognition as a "Public Hero" highlights the significant role she has played in her community.

Early Life
Dr. Sushma Shankar is an individual known for her deep-rooted interest in folk arts, local culture, and rituals. She was born in Kannanaloor, a village located in the Kollam district of Kerala, as the fifth child of Shri N Chellappan Nair and Subhashiniamma. Notably, her father, Shri Chellappan Nair, holds the distinction of being the oldest Thottampatt Acharya residing in Kannanaloor village.

Sushma Shankar pursued her education at Kristu Jyoti College and subsequently joined Navodhaya School in Mandur, where she dedicated her services. During her tenure at the school, she diligently pursued her B.A. in Hindi through the Hindi Prachara Sabha (Hindi Vidwaan) program. Following her marriage, she received unwavering support from her husband in her pursuit of learning Kannada Akshara Maale. Subsequently, she undertook various examinations, including Kannada Kaava, Kannada Jaana, and Kannada Ratna (B.A. in Kannada) at Kannada Sahitya Parishad. Her journey towards achieving these degrees was characterized by dedication and determination.

Continuing her educational journey, Sushma Shankar completed her post-graduation in Kannada from Karnataka State Open University in Mysore, earning an M.A. in Kannada. During this time, she embarked on a research endeavor at Kuppam Dravidian University in Andhra Pradesh, guided by the late Dr. S Lakshmi Devi. Her research focused on a comparative study of O. N. V. Kurup's 'Bhoomikkoru Chamarageetham' and Gopalakrishna Adiga's 'Bhoomi Geetha.'

However, Sushma's thirst for knowledge and education persisted, leading her to begin another research project in 2016, this time under the guidance of Dr. Malleshappa. Her research topic was titled 'Dravida Bhasha Jnanapeetha Prashasti Puraskrutha Kruthigalu: Ondu Adhyayana.' She dedicated herself to this research, and in November 2020, she successfully completed her thesis, which comprised an extensive 963 pages of research work submitted to the University.

Career
Sushma Shankar embarked on her professional journey as an educator, beginning her career as a Teacher at Navodhaya School in Mandur from June 1990 to June 1992. Her commitment and dedication led to her appointment as the Headmistress, where she served from July 1992 to March 1996, totaling six years of service at the school.

Following this, she took on the role of a High School teacher at Amrutha Bharathi Vidya Kendra, where she worked diligently for six years from June 1997 to March 2003. Since March 2000, Sushma Shankar has held the position of Managing Trustee at Sree Saraswathi Education Trust (R). In addition to her contributions in the field of education, she has also taken on the role of Editor in Chief of Thodalnudi Children's Magazine in Kannada.

Works
In 2013, she started 'Thodalnudi', a children's magazine in Kannada. The main objective of this paper was to develop language and literacy among school children. Without any commercialization and advertisement, the magazine was aimed at improving their writing skills. People applauded her efforts and identified her valuable services towards the language and also for the betterment of children.

She, along with her team, with the permission of the Education Department, Govt. of Karnataka visited more than 1000 schools across 30 districts of Karnataka motivating students to involve themselves in literature and encouraging them to write articles on their own for the magazine. She was immensely inspired and motivated when children approached her willingly to read more and gain more from the magazine.

Realizing the need for having an association for translators of five Dravidian language which has the same origin, a large community with an enormous amount of cultural exchange, Sushma came forward to start an association for translators of Dravidian languages. With this vision, in 2021 Sushma started an association called Dravida Bhasha Translators Association consisting of the likes of Dr. Na Daamodara Shetty, Dr. Parvathi G. Aithal, Prof. K Sharada, Dr. A. M. Sreedharan, K. K. Gangadharan, Prof. Nallathambi, Prof. Ammalu Shankari and few others.

Awards
For her contributions to Education, Literature, and Service, Sushma Shankar has received the following awards:


 * Public Hero - by Public T V (2013)
 * Bhartiya Nari Ratna Award - by Global Scholars Foundation (2022)
 * Teaching Excellence Award - by Global Education Awards (2022)
 * Prof. O. N. V. Kurup Award - by Kerala Sahiti Sangamavedi (2023)

List of Literary Works
She has contributed to Kannada and Malayalam languages in a unique way. In all her works and writings, she never represented herself as the forefront by terming herself as 'I'. She provided the right knowledge to people who misinterpreted the language. She respected the language and showed people that she is a Malayali who belonged to the land of Kannada/Karnataka.

Her literary works are listed below:

Poetry

 * Moda Modala Geregalu (Kannada - 2011)
 * Ammadaivam (Malayalam - 2012)
 * Aardrasneham (Malayalam - 2013)
 * Njaan Malayaali (Malayalam - 2017)
 * Anna Kotta Kannada Mannu (Kannada - 2018)
 * Achchan Thamburan (2023)

Malayalam to Kannada

 * Bhoomigondu Charamageethe (2013)
 * Kusidu Bidda Loka (2022)
 * Akshara (2023)

Kannada - Malayalam

 * Yugashabdham (2010)

Tamil to Malayalam

 * Kuyil Paatt - Oru Vilayiruthal (2021)

Short Story

 * Nizalum Nilaavum (Malayalam - 2022)