Chennai-based doctor T.S. Chandrasekar, who has been working for the betterment of differently-abled people for the past 15 years, was presented the national award for 'Empowerment of Persons with Disability' by President Ram Nath Kovind here on Sunday.

Addressing media persons after receiving the award, Chandrasekar, who is with the MedIndia Hospitals in the Tamil Nadu capital, urged everyone to dedicate at least half a day every week for social work.Having conceptualised about 21 projects for the disabled in the past 15 years, he said that he had discussed one of his projects "IQ assessment and career counselling" for disabled students with the central government and was hopeful that the central government would take it up.The project was taken up by the Tamil Nadu government after successful trials by his team, Chandrasekar said.