Rtn. R. Raja Govindasamy is an academic adviser, life skills trainer and nonprofit mentor. Formerly he was the Principal of Thiagarajar College, Madurai and later the Director of Mannar Thirumalai Naicker College, Madurai. A Rotary Foundation Graduate Fellowship Scholar at Ohio State University, USA (1979-80) and an internationally accredited JCI trainer, his lifetime focus has been empowering youth.

He is a life member of Junior Chamber International (JCI), a worldwide federation of young (between 18 and 40) professionals and entrepreneurs which works for community development through individual development. He served as the National President of JCI India in 1991. An active member of the Rotary Movement since 2001 he is the Past President Rotary Club of Madurai West and served as the District Secretary twice, in 2015-16 and 2017-18. He was an Assistant Governor in 2016-17. He is the recipient of Rotary International citation for Avenues of Service in 2014-15 and of Rotary Foundation's citation for Meritorious Service in 2017-18.

An exemplar of Rotary's motto “Service Above Self” he has made a difference in the lives of thousands of youth from villages and small towns by empowering them for life and career. Also, he has been involved in polio immunization programme, mental health programme and women empowerment programme.

He has been elected to serve as a District Governor for Rotary District 3000 in the year 2024 - '25.

He took to college level teaching as a vocation and has been a distinguished academician for the past 50 years. Though he studied in U.S.A. for his higher education, he didn't stay back to pursue a comfortable career there. He returned to India as mandated in the Rotary Graduate Fellowship Award and inculcated quality education for the career and character development of young adults. He trained them in developing global skill set with an Indian mindset through curricular, co-curricular and extracurricular programmes.

Both he and his wife, Rtn. Dr. N.K. Asha Devi, also former college teacher, and an active Rotarian, exemplify a life of simplicity, liberal thinking and volunteer service.