Dr Sengamedu Srinivasa Badrinath was born on February, 24 1940 in Triplicane, Chennai. His father, Sri S. V. Srinivasa Rao, a Licentiate in Engineering from the College of Engineering, Guindy, Chennai, was employed in the Madras Government Service as an Engineer in Public Works and Food production department. Badrinath’s mother, Smt. Lakshmi Devi was the daughter of a leading advocate from Nerur, Tamilnadu. Youngest of seven siblings, Dr Badrinath was brought up in “middle class” ethics and rooted in the culture and tradition of our Bharath. He lost both his parents while still in his teens and completed his medical studies from the life insurance policy money obtained following the demise of his father. Beginning his education at age 7, due to a childhood illness, Dr Badrinath studied at P S High School, Mylapore and Sri Ramakrishna Mission High School, T.Nagar, Chennai. He completed the “intermediate” collegiate study at Loyola College between 1955 and 1957. He was a student of the Madras Medical College between 1957 and 1962 completing his medical studies in the first attempt and securing the highest marks in ophthalmology in the University Examination. He pursued his graduate studies in ophthalmology in the United States of America at Grasslands Hospital, New York University postgraduate medical school and Brooklyn Eye and Ear Infirmary between 1963 and 1968. He worked as a fellow in the vitreoretinal services of Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Boston under Dr Charles L. Schepens from 1968 to 70. He passed the examination for the Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons (Canada) and the American Board Examination in Ophthalmology in 1969 and 1970 respectively. He met Dr Vasanthi Iyengar, a board-certified pediatrician and Hematologist in Brooklyn New York in 1966, and married her on 3rd June 1967. They have two sons. Forsaking citizenship and immigration into Canada and USA, the Badrinath returned to India keeping their promise to his Guru, Dr Charles L Schepens, in March/April 1970, after a seven and half year stay abroad. In the first two years, following their return, the family suffered immense hardship. During this period of trials and tribulations, Col. S. Vasudevan, Badrinath’s elder brother was of immense and immeasurable support and dissuading the couple from returning back to USA. From 1970, for a period of six years, Dr Badrinath worked at the Voluntary Health Services, Adyar as a consultant. He set up his private practice in ophthalmology and vitreoretinal surgery at the H.M. Hospital (1970 to 1972) and Vijaya Hospital, Chennai (1973 to 1978). In 1974, Dr Badrinath was most privileged and blessed to have had the opportunity to serve His Holiness Jagadguru Sri Chandrasekerendra Saraswathi Swamigal, the 68th Peetathipathi of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam. In 1975, he was most fortunate to have been ordained to start a medical institution with a missionary spirit by His Holiness Jagadguru Sri Jayendra Saraswathi Swamigal. In 1978 Dr S S Badrinath founded the Medical Research Foundation as ordained by His Holiness Sri Jayendra Saraswathi Swamigal. He is currently the president of Medical Research Foundation of which Sankara Nethralaya is the hospital unit, a registered society, a charitable non-profit ophthalmic organization. He is also the Chairman Emeritus of Sankara Nethralaya. Over the next 24 years, he and his colleagues relentlessly pursued the triple objectives of the foundation; 1) quality care at affordable cost, 2) teaching and training of ophthalmologists and paramedical personnel to create an army for combating blindness in India and, 3) research in vision sciences addressing the ophthalmic problems specific to India.