Oxygen messiah, Jamia’s Sanskrit Prof Dr Abhay passes away
Jamia Millia Islamia loses another highly talented faculty member. Words spread on the campus of the demise of Jamia Sanskrit Department Assistant Professor Dr Abhay Kumar Shandilya.
THEOKHLATIMES NEEDS YOUR SUPPORT. DONATE RS 100, 500, 1K OR MORE TO SUSTAIN LOCAL REPORTING: JUST CLICK TO PAY
He was 46 years old and died on Friday at a hospital where he was undergoing treatment after testing Covid positive days ago, said a reliable university source.
“He was Covid for the last 10 days and hospitalised and he passed away,” said Dr Abhay Kumar Shandilya’s wife Dr Ruby, who teaches Sanskrit at Delhi University.
She told the OT over phone that the Professor was from Saharsa and has left behind a son.
Sanskrit department HOD Dr Jay Prakash Narayan told the OT over phone that it is a great loss to the department.
“Dr Abhay Kumar Shandilya was the first faculty member to be appointed at Jamia’s Sanskrit department in February 2017. He was a founder member. He used to manage everything to make sure to keep Sanskrit department afloat. He was a very dynamic personality. Before being hospitalised, he helped many people by providing them oxygen,” said Dr Jay Prakash Narayan.
“He had fever a few days ago and since then he took all precautions. But when his oxygen level was 85, we all were worried and efforts were made to get him hospitalised. When he got a bed in a hospital we were hopeful that he will recover. He recovered and his oxygen improved. We got message from him that he will be back soon. It was at 1:30 pm on Friday that his wife got a message from hospital doctor that he is no more. He was diabetic,” he said.
Dr Abhay Kumar Shandilya was not only well versed in Sanskrit but had good command of other language, including English and Hindi, said the HOD.
Born in Bihar’s Saharsa, Dr Abhay Kumar Shandilya did his matriculation from Zila School, Saharsa, Bihar School Examination Board, Patna, in 1989. After which he went to Patna and completed his intermediate from Patna College in 1991 after which he came to Delhi from where he completed his higher studies from DU.
He taught at DU for 18 years as adhoc before joining Jamia, said the HOD, adding that his son studies in Class X.
