The Vice-Chancellor of Kavikulaguru Kalidas Sanskrit University (KKSU), Ramtek, Professor Hareram Tripathi, died in a road accident on August 23 while travelling to Mau, Kushi Nagar, Uttar Pradesh. His wife, Badami Tripathi, also lost her life in the accident. Their driver, Vaibhav Mishra, is critically injured and is undergoing treatment in a hospital. Professor Tripathi was born in 1967. He was known for his amiable nature and his readiness to help others. He left Ramtek on August 22 at around 6 pm along with his wife by car for Mau, Uttar Pradesh. On August 23, at about 6 am, their vehicle collided with a heavy vehicle coming from the opposite direction.

 

The collision was so severe that the front portion of the Innova car was completely crushed. Professor Tripathi and his wife died on the spot, while driver Mishra was rescued with the help of passersby and taken to a nearby hospital by police. According to police, Professor Tripathi was driving the car at the time of the accident. Before the mishap, driver Mishra had informed him that he was feeling sleepy. Tripathi then asked Mishra to rest in the back seat and took the wheel himself, with his wife seated beside him. Professor Tripathi is survived by three sons and three daughters. He was a renowned scholar and philosopher in Indian Philosophy, Navya Nyaya, Samkhya, Yoga and Nyaya Shastra. He had written more than 40 books on various subjects.

 

He assumed charge as the Vice-Chancellor of KKSU on June 7, 2023. In his twenty-six month tenure, he secured a grant of Rs 70 crore for the university, along with funds for research projects, seminars, workshops and conferences. Professor Tripathi had served as a Professor of Indian Philosophy at Lal Bahadur Shastri National Sanskrit University, New Delhi, and was also Vice Chancellor of Sampurnanand Sanskrit University, Varanasi. He was honoured with the Maharshi Badarayana President’s Award by the Government of India for his contribution to Sanskrit. He also received the Shankar Vedanta Award, Panini Award and the Distinguished Service Award from the Uttar Pradesh Sanskrit Sansthan. The funeral procession of Professor Tripathi and his wife began from the residence of Professor Vashishth Tripathi on August 24 at 7 am. It reached Harishchandra Ghat in Varanasi, where their last rites were performed.