Early Life
Prof. Dr. Saraswati Raju Iyer was born on September 30, 1968, in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, to Smt. Jalajakshi Ramachandran, a homemaker, and Sri P.S. Ramachandran, a retired Senior Personnel Officer from South Central Railways, Hyderabad. She is the second of three daughters. Her elder sister, Smt. Usha Subramaniam, resides in Hyderabad, while her younger sister, Smt. Parvathi Shivakumar, lives in Canada.
She completed her school education at Keyes High School for Girls and pursued her intermediate studies at Railway Junior College. Her graduation in Social Work was completed at P.G. College of Social Work, Hyderabad. She later pursued higher education from Osmania University, Acharya Nagarjuna University, and Indira Gandhi National Open University, New Delhi.
Career
Prof. Dr. Saraswati Raju Iyer is an eminent academician, sociologist, researcher, and social worker with decades of experience in teaching, research, administration, and community service. She currently serves as Professor and Chairperson of the P.G. Board of Studies in the Department of Sociology and Social Work at Acharya Nagarjuna University, Guntur.
Throughout her career, she has held several important academic and administrative positions including Head of the Department of Sociology & Social Work, Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences, Member of the Executive Council and Academic Senate, Director of IQAC, and Coordinator of Community Social Responsibility.
Her professional associations extend nationally and internationally. She is a Fellow of the Indian Academy of Social Sciences, Allahabad, and holds memberships in organizations such as NIMHANS Bengaluru, Andhra Pradesh Sociological Society, National Social Science Association (USA), International Justice Mission (USA), Commonwealth Foundation London, and Civil 20 India 2023 (C20). She has also served as Advisory Group Member of the Global Ocean Conservation Sustainability Programme, USA, and Executive Member of the Human Rights International Federation, Government of India.
Prof. Iyer has been actively involved in teaching, mentoring, and academic research. She has guided 30 Ph.D. scholars and 5 M.Phil. scholars and completed 42 research and consultancy projects. Her scholarly output includes 151 research papers published in national and international journals, 82 book chapters, 158 study lessons for the Centre for Distance Education, and 21 e-content modules for the UGC SWAYAM platform.
She has authored books including Counselling for Women Living with HIV/AIDS and Indian Society: Problems and Issues, both published in 2016.
Prof. Iyer has represented India at several international conferences and academic forums in countries including the USA, Nepal, Vietnam, Morocco, the Netherlands, the Philippines, and the United Arab Emirates.
Personal Life
Prof. Dr. Saraswati Raju Iyer is married to Dr. Raju S. Iyer, a cardio thoracic surgeon associated with Katuri Medical College Hospital, Guntur. The couple has two children. Their daughter, Dr. Deepa Raju, is married to Sri Balaji, a Chartered Accountant, and resides in Dubai with their children Dhruv Iyer and Tanya Iyer. Their son, Sri Hariharan Raju pursuing his M.S. in Computational Sciences from Germany. Prof. Dr. Saraswati Raju Iyer is a distinguished academician, researcher, and social development expert whose contributions to Sociology and Social Work have significantly impacted higher education and community welfare. Former Head of the Department at Acharya Nagarjuna University, she currently serves as Chairperson of the Postgraduate Board of Studies in Sociology and Social Work.
Over the course of her illustrious career, she has held several key academic and administrative positions, including Member of the Executive Council and Academic Senate, Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences, Director of the Internal Quality Assurance Cell, and Coordinator for Community Social Responsibility at Acharya Nagarjuna University.
A gold medalist from Osmania University, Prof. Iyer possesses an impressive academic background that includes B.S.W., M.S.W., M.A. in Sociology, N.E.T., S.L.E.T., I.C.C.C. (USA), Ph.D., and D.Litt. (USA). A trained psychological counsellor, she has also completed specialized courses in Guidance and Life Skills Education, strengthening her expertise in counselling and human development.
Her academic presence extends across the global stage. Prof. Iyer has presented papers and chaired sessions at international conferences in the U.S.A., Nepal, Vietnam, and Morocco. She has participated in Global Fellows’ Meetings in the Netherlands, the U.S.A., and the Philippines, and attended the Best Diplomats Conference in Dubai. Since 2019, she has been serving as a NAAC Peer Team Member in Bangalore while contributing to several national and international academic and professional bodies.
Her international associations include serving on the Seafood Watch Social Sustainability Advisory Group at Monterey Bay Aquarium, U.S.A., advisory board membership at the Lifeboat Foundation, U.S.A., membership at the International Institute of Knowledge Management (TIIKM), Sri Lanka, the International Sociological Association, Spain, and her role as Adjunct Professor at the Institute for Health and Management, Melbourne, Australia.Global Roster of Gender Expert of Gender Associations International Consulting, (GAIC), Berlin, Germany.
With more than 26 years of postgraduate teaching experience, Prof. Iyer has authored 20 books, presented 136 research papers, delivered 146 academic sessions, and contributed 21 MOOCs lectures for SWAYAM under the Government of India initiative. She has guided 30 Ph.D. scholars and completed 42 research and consultancy projects funded by national and international agencies.
Her work in counselling, gender studies, HIV/AIDS, marginalized communities, child rights, and disability continues to create meaningful academic and social impact across communities., is pursuing his Master’s degree in Computational Sciences in Germany.
Despite her extensive academic and professional responsibilities, Prof. Iyer has remained deeply committed to family values, social welfare, women empowerment, and educational development.
Achievements & Recognition
Prof. Dr. Saraswati Raju Iyer has received more than 66 prestigious national and international awards in recognition of her outstanding contributions to education, research, social work, and women empowerment.
Some of her notable honours include:
- Best Citizens of India Award (2011)
- Rajiv Gandhi Excellence Award (2014)
- Award for Eminent Teacher (2015)
- Women of Distinction Award (2016)
- Adarsh Vidya Saraswati Rashtriya Puraskar (2016)
- Honorary DLitt from the University of South America, USA (2016)
- Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Award (2017)
- Outstanding Woman Educator & Scholar Award (2017)
- Asian Education Award (2020)
- Global Teacher Role Model Award (2020)
- Andhra Pradesh Scientist Award (2020)
- International Women Award (2022)
- Top 100 Women Leadership Award (2022)
- 100 Influential Indians Award (2022)
- India Social Impact Award (2022)
- Asian Excellence Award (2023)
- Global Legends Award (2024)
- World Book Record (2024)
- Leading Educationist of India Award (2024)
- Best Indian Golden Personalities Award (2025)
Her biography has also been featured in Asia Pacific Who’s Who and the Golden Award Book 2024.
External Links
Address:
Department of Sociology & Social Work
Acharya Nagarjuna University
Nagarjuna Nagar, Guntur – 522510, Andhra Pradesh, India
E-mail: saras1_2rajuiyer2003@yahoo.com
