Kanpur news: Professor Sameer Khandekar, the dean of student affairs and head of mechanical engineering at Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT) Kanpur, collapsed while giving a speech at the institute's auditorium and passed away. He had been battling health issues since 2019. The IIT community is in shock and his final rites will take place after his son arrives from Cambridge University.
The dean of student affairs and head of mechanical engineering department, IIT Kanpur, Professor Sameer Khandekar, collapsed on the dais while giving a speech on Friday (December 22) evening and passed away. Khandekar felt a severe chest pain and started sweating profusely before collapsing on the stage.
Witnesses noted his voice wavering, and he succumbed to profuse sweating before collapsing on stage. For a few minutes, the attendees thought the professor, overwhelmed by emotion, had sat down on the dais. But when he did not show any sign of motion, he was rushed to the cardiology institute. He was declared dead upon arrival.
Prof Khandekar, an IIT Kanpur alumnus, had battled health issues related to cholesterol in 2019, and had been undergoing treatment since then. Beyond academics, his contributions to the institute included active engagement with students and a recent visit to Sopan ashram just days before the unfortunate incident.
Administrative officers of the institute said that he was completely fit and are in shock after hearing about his sudden death. Former Director Prof. Abhay Karandikar and several senior professors of IIT Kanpur expressed their grief over Khandekar's demise.
The alumni meet, held in the IIT’s auditorium, was attended by distinguished personalities, including noted physicists Padma Shri awardee Prof Harish Chandra Varma, with whom he was also associated.
Prof Varma said that Prof Khandekar’s collapse occurred around 6:00 pm while he was passionately addressing the audience.
“Two days ago, he visited Sopan Ashram and spoke to students about science and gave invaluable tips,” said Prof Varma.
The news has left the IIT community in shock, with students, faculty, and alumni grappling with the sudden loss of the leading academician. The final rites for Prof Khandekar will take place after the arrival of his son, Pravah Khandekar, who studies in Cambridge University.
Born in Jabalpur, Prof Khandekar earned his BTech from IIT Kanpur and pursued a PhD in mechanical engineering from Germany. In 2020, he assumed the role of head of the mechanical engineering department, leaving behind a legacy of dedication to education and well-being. The 55-year-old academician left behind his parents, his wife, Pradhanya Khandekar, and son Pravah.
Know more about Professor Khandekar:
Khandekar was also associated with Shiksha Sopan Ashram, which is run by former professor HC Verma near the institute. received a huge applause at a program held here a few days ago for delivering a speech about scientific experiments in an interesting manner. Khandekar was born on November 10, 1971 in Madhya Pradesh's Jabalpur. He got admission in IIT Kanpur in 2000 and obtained his B.Tech degree from here. After this, he went to Germany and completed his PhD in 2004. On returning, he joined IIT Kanpur as an assistant professor.
In 2009 he became an associate professor and a professor in 2014. In 2020 he became the head of the Mechanical Engineering Department and took over the responsibility of Dean of Student Affairs in 2023.
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