Sun Nov 09 14:04:21 UTC 2025: News Article:

Former Kerala University Vice Chancellor V.P. Mahadevan Pillai Passes Away at 68

Thiruvananthapuram – November 9, 2025 – V.P. Mahadevan Pillai, former Vice Chancellor of Kerala University, has died at the age of 68. He passed away in Ernakulam on Sunday while undergoing treatment for cancer, according to sources.

Prof. Pillai served as Vice Chancellor from October 2018 to October 2022, following a long career as a faculty member and Head of the Department of Optoelectronics. Before joining Kerala University, he was a physics lecturer at St. Gregorios College, Kottarakkara, from 1982 to 2001.

A respected academic and researcher from Pathanamthitta, Prof. Pillai is credited with leading Kerala University to achieve an A++ grade from the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) during his tenure. His time as Vice Chancellor concluded amidst a period of tension with then-Governor Arif Mohammed Khan.

The university has released a statement calling his death “an irreparable loss to the academic world.”

A public homage will be held at the University Senate Hall on Monday at 2:30 p.m. followed by the funeral at Shantikavadam on Tuesday. He is survived by his wife and two children.

Read More