IIT Kanpur Dean Suffers Cardiac Arrest While Addressing Students On Good Health, Dies

In an incident that has left the students and teachers of IIT-Kanpur in a state of shock, a 53-year-old senior professor of IIT-Kanpur collapsed on stage and died, while delivering a speech on health, ironically.

The supreme irony of life, they say, is that hardly anyone gets out of it alive.

"Take care of your health..." were the last words uttered by Professor Sameer Khandekar, according to those present, at an alumni meet on the campus on Friday evening. He was rushed to Laxmipat Singhania Institute of Cardiology, where he was declared 'dead upon arrival'.

IIT Kanpur

Who was Professor Sameer Khandekar of IIT-Kanpur?

Professor Sameer Khandekar was the dean of student affairs and head of mechanical engineering at IIT Kanpur.

Born in Jabalpur, Prof Khandekar earned his BTech from IIT Kanpur and pursued a PhD in mechanical engineering from Germany. In 2020, he assumed the role of head of the mechanical engineering department.

Reports suggest that he had been battling with cholesterol-related health issues since 2019 when he had been diagnosed with high cholesterol levels, and had been undergoing treatment since then.

What happened at the alumni meet?

The alumni meet was held on Friday at the IIT auditorium and was attended by distinguished personalities, including noted physicists Padma Shri awardee Prof Harish Chandra Varma.

Representative image/ IIT Kanpur

Around 6 pm, witnessed noticed his voice wavering followed by profuse sweating. He finally collapsed on stage. For a few minutes, the attendees assumed he had simply sat down on the stage. It was only when he did not move that he was rushed to the cardiology institute.

Cardiologist Dr Neeraj Kumar said, "He died of cardiac arrest or cardiac block."

How has the IIT community reacted?

The incident has left the IIT community in shock. Students, faculty, and alumni are left grappling with the sudden loss of the senior professor.

Former IIT-Kanpur director Abhay Karandikar expressed shock over the sudden demise of Khandekar to PTI. He described Professor Khandekaras an ¡°outstanding teacher and researcher.¡±

Khandekar's body has been placed at the health centre for people to pay their last respects and final rites were to take place after his son arrived from Cambridge University.

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