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{{Notability|Bio|date=June 2021}}
{{Use Indian English|date=June 2016}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2021}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Rajith Kumar
| image = Rajith Kumar.jpg
| alt = 
| caption =
| birth_name =
| birth_date = 
| birth_place = [[Attingal]], [[Thiruvananthapuram district|Trivandrum]], Kerala, India
| other_names =
| occupation = {{hlist |Activist|public speaker|lecturer|actor}}
}}
'''Rajith Kumar R.''' is an Indian lecturer, actor and [[Bigg Boss (Malayalam season 2)|''Bigg Boss'' (Malayalam season 2)]] participant from [[Kerala]] who has won numerous awards for television programs and also social activist.

A lecturer at the Department of [[Botany]], [[Sree Sankara College]], [[Kalady]],<ref name=":5">{{Cite web|title=Sree Sankara College Kalady|url=https://www.ssc.edu.in/department.php?id=c3NjX2JvdGFueQ==|url-status=live|access-date=2021-02-19|website=Sree Sankara College Kalady}}</ref> he gained attention in 2013 for making misogynistic comments during a speech he made to a group of female students as an invited speaker at the Government Women's College, Thiruvananthapuram. The incident led to a backlash against him as well as the college authorities who had invited him. He has since made multiple comments that were criticized for being [[Sexism|sexist]], [[Transphobia|transphobic]], unscientific and insensitive to [[Disability|people with disabilities]]. These include claiming that women who wear [[jeans]] give birth to [[transgender]] children and that rebellious parents would have [[Autism spectrum|autistic]] children.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|title=Kerala Govt Mulls Legal Action Against Professor Who Said ' Woman Wearing Jeans Give Birth To Trans Kids'|url=https://www.outlookindia.com/website/story/kerala-govt-mulls-legal-action-against-professor-who-said-woman-wearing-jeans-gi/310514|access-date=2021-02-19|website=www.outlookindia.com/}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2018-04-03|title='Wearing jeans leads to birth of trans kids': Kerala prof slammed for offensive remark|url=https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/wearing-jeans-leads-birth-trans-kids-kerala-prof-slammed-offensive-remark-78960|access-date=2021-02-19|website=The News Minute|language=en}}</ref>

==Life and career==
Born in [[Attingal]] in [[Thiruvananthapuram district]] of [[Kerala]], Rajith Kumar graduated with a Bachelor of Science (BSc.) in Botany from [[Mar Ivanios College]], Thiruvananthapuram and a Masters of Science (MSc.) in Botany from [[N. S. S. College, Pandalam]] (with first rank). He then completed a [[Master of Philosophy]] (M. Phil) in [[cytogenetics]] and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in [[microbiology]] (with [[gold medal]]).<ref name="TNIE-article">{{cite news|last=Prakash|first=Asha|date=8 December 2009|title=The power of one|work=[[The New Indian Express]]|url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/thiruvananthapuram/2009/dec/08/the-power-of-one-111052.html|access-date=1 February 2020}}</ref><ref name="TH-article">{{cite news|last=Pradeep|first=K.|date=5 November 2009|title=Teaching from the heart|work=[[The Hindu]]|url=https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-metroplus/Teaching-from-the-heart/article16369919.ece|access-date=1 February 2020}}</ref> He also has a [[Bachelor of Education]] (BEd) degree in [[natural science]], a bachelor's degree in [[library and information science]] (BLIS), a master's degree (M.S) in [[psychotherapy]], and a diploma in [[Vedanta]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.asianetnews.com/biggboss/bigg-boss-malayalam-season-two-contestant-rajith-kumar-q3n3k1|title=അതെ ഇത് രജിത് കുമാര്‍ തന്നെ! ബിഗ് ബോസിലേക്ക് എത്തുന്നത് വന്‍ മേക്കോവറില്‍|work=[[Asianet News]]|language=ml|author=Web desk|date=5 January 2020|access-date=6 January 2020}}</ref> He has also passed the [[UGC NET]] examination.<ref name="TNIE-article"/>

He was a former teacher at Government Model Boys Higher Secondary School, Attingal and now works as a Junior Lecturer at the Department of Botany at [[Sree Sankara College]], [[Kalady]].<ref name=":5" /> He has authored several books and was awarded the Samoohya Saksharatha Prathibha Award by Kerala State Literacy Mission Authority, [[Government of Kerala]].<ref name="TNIE-article" />

==Controversial remarks==
In 2013, while speaking at [[Government College for Women, Thiruvananthapuram]] at the "moral education" campaign organised by the [[Department of General and Higher Education (Kerala)|Department of General and Higher Education]], he criticised women's current dressing style. It received media attention after a student protested by booing and boycotting the speech. [[Shobhana George]] complained against his statement in the [[Kerala State Human Rights Commission]] which asked the Collegiate Education Department to enquire into the matter. Deputy Director Girija Devi who conducted the enquiry reported that Kumar's speech was "a piece of art and the opposition by a graduate student to the speech was an immature response".<ref>{{cite news|date=15 June 2013|title=Now, Rajith Kumar's misogyny becomes 'art'|work=[[The Times of India]]|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/thiruvananthapuram/Now-Rajith-Kumars-misogyny-becomes-art/articleshow/20596003.cms|access-date=2 October 2019}}</ref>

In 2018, in a counselling session held in [[Kasaragod]] he reportedly made the unscientific and [[misogyny|misogynistic]] statement that women who wear [[jeans]] can give birth to [[transgender]] children and the children born to rebel men and women is found to be [[Autism|autistic]], claiming to have scientific backing. He received rebuke, and it was pointed out in media that it was ill-informed, unscientific, and offensive. Kumar defended it saying that there are efforts to put him in bad light and only a certain portion from his 4-hour long speech was taken and is used to create misunderstanding among people. He reiterated and defended his statements again in the show ''Njangalkum Parayanund'' in [[Mathrubhumi News]].<ref>{{cite news|last1=Varier|first1=Megha|date=3 April 2013|title='Wearing jeans leads to birth of trans kids': Kerala Prof slammed for offensive remarks|work=[[The News Minute]]|url=https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/wearing-jeans-leads-birth-trans-kids-kerala-prof-slammed-offensive-remark-78960|access-date=2 October 2019}}</ref> Following that, health minister [[K. K. Shailaja]] released a press note barring Kumar from speaking in government programmes, citing that he spreads superstition and social discord.<ref>{{Cite news|author=Special correspondent|date=2 April 2018|title=State to initiate action against counsellor|work=[[The Hindu]]|url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/state-to-initiate-action-against-counsellor/article23415500.ece|access-date=3 April 2018|issn=0971-751X}}</ref> Although his statements has received criticism, he has also found support from a section of public.<ref>{{cite web|last=Raja|first=Vidya|date=6 April 2018|title='Women in Jeans' Give Birth to Trans Kids. Really? and You Claim to Be a Botany Lecturer|url=https://www.thebetterindia.com/136946/rajith-kumar-ridiculous-statements-women-jeans-kerala/|access-date=2 October 2019|publisher=[[The Better India]]}}</ref> Following the [[2020 coronavirus pandemic in Kerala]], he said that he had a 'pure heart' and therefore he cannot be infected with coronavirus.<ref>{{cite news|title=Rajith Kumar fans' airport gathering exposes Kerala's coronavirus preventive system|language=en|work=OnManorama|url=https://english.manoramaonline.com/news/kerala/2020/03/16/bigg-boss-rajith-kumar-fans-gathering-intelligence-failure-corona-scare.html|access-date=27 March 2020}}</ref>

==Bigg Boss==
In 2020, he entered the Bigg Boss house as a contestant in the reality television show [[Bigg Boss (Malayalam season 2)|''Bigg Boss'' (Malayalam season 2)]] on [[Asianet (TV channel)|Asianet]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Bigg Boss Malayalam 2 contestant Dr Rajith Kumar: Everything you need to know about the controversial public speaker|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/tv/news/malayalam/bigg-boss-malayalam-2-contestant-dr-rajith-kumar-everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-controversial-public-speaker/articleshow/73111049.cms|access-date=6 January 2020|work=The Times of India}}</ref> He was ousted from the show after he rubbed chilli paste on fellow contestant Reshma Nair's eye on camera. Reshma later revealed that she will file a police complaint against Rajith Kumar. Reshma claimed that she suffered corneal injury in one eye and her eyesight suffered.

When he was ousted from the show, his army organized a public gathering to welcome him at Cochin International Airport. The gathering was organized despite the government's cautionary measures against the [[2020 coronavirus pandemic in Kerala|coronavirus pandemic]]. Rajith and 79 other people involved in the gathering were booked by the police for flouting government advisory on violating Covid Pandemic Regulations.

==Filmography==
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! Notes
|-
|-
|-
|-
| 1992
| [[Maanyanmar]]
| Hospital Staff
| Malayalam Movie
|-
| 1998
| [[Manthrikumaran]]
| Bank Employee
| Malayalam Movie
|-
| 2015
| ''Manalchithrangal''
| Actor
| Feature film{{Citation needed|date=May 2021}}
|-
| 2018
| ''Njangalkum Parayanund''
| Guest and subject
| Episode 252, [[Mathrubhumi News]] talk show
|-
| 2018
| ''Daivathinte Naadu''
| Actor
| Short film
|-
| 2019
| ''Janakeiya Kodathi''
| Interviewee
| Episode 13, Twentyfour News interview by Arun Kumar
|-
| 2019
| ''Amma''
| Actor
| Music video
|-
| 2020
| [[Bigg Boss (Malayalam season 2)|''Bigg Boss'' (Malayalam season 2)]]
| Contestant
| Reality TV show on [[Asianet (TV channel)|Asianet]], 70 episodes
|-
|2020||Veendum Chila Veetuviseshangal||Host||Comedy Talk show
|-
|2020–2021||Life is Beautiful Season 2||Alexy & Fernandez||TV series On Asianet
|-
|2021 ||Parayam Nedam ||Participant||Amritha TV
|-
|2021 ||Star Magic ||Participant||[[Flowers (TV channel)|Flowers TV channel]]
|-
|2021 ||Anti Christ ||||Movie released through Prime Theater OTT Platform
|-
|2021 ||''[[Swapnasundari]]'' || Zachariah Punnoose || Feature film <ref>{{cite news |last1=Mathews |first1=Anna |title=Bigg Boss star Rajith Kumar set to make big screen debut |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/tv/news/malayalam/bigg-boss-star-rajith-kumar-set-to-make-big-screen-debut/articleshow/79250748.cms?from=mdr |access-date=23 June 2021 |work=[[The Times of India]] |date=16 November 2020}}</ref>
|}

==Awards==
* 2009: Samoohya Saksharatha Prathibha from [[Chirayinkeezhu]] panchayat and Kerala State Literacy Mission Authority.<ref name="TH-article"/>
* 2010: Rashtra Sevana Prathibha Puraskar from Global Confederation of Pravasee Malayalees<ref>{{cite web |title=Rastra Sevana Prathibha Puraskar |url=https://scontent.fcok1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/528097_471714842882319_586567152_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&_nc_ohc=03CKkxPRoO0AX8CFzHq&_nc_ht=scontent.fcok1-1.fna&oh=f0dbca187bb25dfb0757be677703e494&oe=5E65DFD0|access-date=8 January 2020 |date=2013}}{{dead link|date=May 2021}}</ref>
* 2017: Dr. Ambedkar Excellency Service National Award from Bharatiya Dalit Sahitya Akademi<ref>{{cite web|title=Dr. Ambedkar Excellency National Award for Dr. Rajith Kumar|url=https://scontent.fcok1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t31.0-8/s960x960/18921051_1207842669343527_4715951604494761086_o.jpg?_nc_cat=106&_nc_ohc=Bv4urAcvWDsAX89qJkj&_nc_ht=scontent.fcok1-1.fna&_nc_tp=1&oh=6deb3c0f16463582bc2d1dcc2f581d55&oe=5E92CEFB|access-date=8 January 2020 |date=2018}} {{dead link|date=May 2021}}</ref>
* 2017: Samoohya Sevana Rathnam from Kerala Urban Development Council<ref>{{cite web |title=Samoohya Sevana Puraskaram |url=https://scontent.fcok1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/31230347_1510388972422227_1512303240991997952_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&_nc_ohc=GPuRCvA8CyEAX-LBiuG&_nc_ht=scontent.fcok1-1.fna&oh=1312ae277de078e98facb02c0a0f6fa1&oe=5EB0EE47 |access-date=8 January 2020 |date=2018}}{{dead link|date=May 2021}}</ref>
* 2018: Gem of Kerala (Keralaratnam) from Global Confederation of Pravasee Malayalees<ref>{{cite web|title=Keralarathnam Puraskaram for Dr. Rajith Kumar|url=https://scontent.fcok1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/37098494_1617139401747183_4986265561013944320_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&_nc_ohc=myJshFYFuqYAX_pc2VC&_nc_ht=scontent.fcok1-1.fna&oh=a4a011cd888337fdaac55dfc00240dd4&oe=5EA2C2C5|access-date=8 January 2020|date=2019}}{{dead link|date=May 2021}}</ref>
* 2018: Gurushreshta Puraskaram from Vanitha Congress (M)
* 2019: Shri. Vedavyasa Puraskaram from Bharatiya Dalit Sahitya Akademi

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kumar, Rajith}}
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Year of birth missing (living people)]]
[[Category:21st-century Indian philosophers]]
[[Category:People from Thiruvananthapuram district]]
[[Category:Social critics]]
[[Category:Malayali people]]
[[Category:Malayalam-language writers]]
[[Category:Indian activists]]
[[Category:Indian academics]]
[[Category:Bigg Boss Malayalam contestants]]

Rajith Kumar - Revision history

->TheZoodles: language edit