Padma Venkataraman, the chairperson of Women’s Indian Association (WIA) and daughter of former President R Venkataraman, has been bestowed with the 2017 Avvaiyar Award by the Tamil Nadu government for her efforts in the areas of women’s welfare and rehabilitation of leprosy-affected persons for the past 30 years. The award which has been instituted to encourage women excel in social reforms, women’s development, communal harmony, arts, science, culture, journalism and administration, carries `1 lakh, a gold medal and a citation.