BHUBANESWAR: Vice-chancellor of Kalahandi’s Maa Manikeshwari University Sanjay Satapathy passed away at a private hospital in Bhubaneswar on Wednesday. He was 63.
Family sources said he was ailing for a long time and had been on leave since October for treatment. A notable figure in the education and arts sectors, Satapathy was an alumnus of Ravenshaw college and had begun his career as a faculty member of Cuttack college in 1984.
After his retirement from Ravenshaw University in 2021 as a commerce professor, he was appointed as the vice-chancellor of Maa Manikeshwari University (previously Kalahandi University) in April, 2021.
While setting up the new university, he was instrumental in implementing several new measures in the institution including changing the university uniform to Habaspuri, a dying handloom tradition. He also started an internship initiative ‘Earn While You Learn’ to provide financial support to poor students.
Over his career, he has guided 30 PhD scholars, published over 50 research publications and wrote more than 26 books. He was also involved in stage, radio, and television shows. People across literary and academic circles have condoled his demise.