Panruti is a town, municipality and taluk headquarters in Cuddalore district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Panruti lies between Cuddalore and Villupuram.

Panruti is located at 11°46′N 79°33′E / 11.77°N 79.55°E / 11.77; 79.55. It has an average elevation of 32 metres (104 feet). The Kedilam River flows through the town.

The name Panruti evolved from 'pannargal' (a word for people who created music in ancient times). The creators of various 'panns' were also titled as 'pannar'.

Panruti produces cashews, jackfruit, and many vegetables. Panruti plays a major role in the cashew export business, exporting to Malaysia, Australia, Singapore, and the United States. It is known for its famous international jackfruit market, from where jackfruit is exported to many other countries. It is also a commercial center of Cuddalore district. People from all over Cuddalore district come to Panruti to purchase groceries and fresh vegetables.

The Neyveli Lignite Corporation is located 21 km away.

As of 2001^[update], the Indian census shows Panruti to have a population of 55,400, with a male-female ratio of 50:50. Panruti has a literacy rate of 69%, higher than the national average of 59.5%, with male literacy at 76%, and female literacy at 62%. 12% of the population is under 6 years of age.

John Dewey (October 20, 1859 – June 1, 1952) was an American philosopher, psychologist and educational reformer whose ideas have been influential in education and social reform. Dewey was an important early developer of the philosophy of pragmatism and one of the founders of functional psychology. He was a major representative of progressive education and liberalism.

Although Dewey is known best for his publications concerning education, he also wrote about many other topics, including experience, nature, art, logic, inquiry, democracy, and ethics.

In his advocacy of democracy, Dewey considered two fundamental elements—schools and civil society—as being major topics needing attention and reconstruction to encourage experimental intelligence and plurality. Dewey asserted that complete democracy was to be obtained not just by extending voting rights but also by ensuring that there exists a fully formed public opinion, accomplished by effective communication among citizens, experts, and politicians, with the latter being accountable for the policies they adopt.^{[citation needed]}