Former chancellor of GITAM deemed-to-be University, former Vice-Chancellor of Andhra University and Padma Shri awardee Koneru Ramakrishna Rao died here on Tuesday after a brief illness. He was 89.
Born on October 4, 1932, Ramakrishna Rao was an internationally recognised psychologist, Gandhian scholar and educator. He had written more than 20 books and 300 research publications. Ramakrishna Rao had served as the advisor to Higher Education and Chairman of Andhra Pradesh State Council of Higher Education. He was also Vice-Chairman of Andhra Pradesh State Planning Board. He was bestowed with many honours including honorary doctoral degrees from Nagarjuna, Kakatiya and Andhra universities. For his research contributions, he was elected three times as the president of Parapsychological Association, a U.S. based international society, and also had served as the president of Indian Academy of Applied Psychology.
Ramakrishna Rao was instrumental in bringing in numerous curricular reforms to link classrooms with community during his tenure as the Vice-Chancellor of Andhra University and Chairman of the APSCHE.
He is survived by two daughters and one son. The faculty members of the AU and the GITAM deemed-to-be University mourned his demise.
