Former EFLU VC Sastry passes away

Hyderabad: Prof. VSS Sastry (69), former Vice Chancellor of English and Foreign Languages University (EFLU) passed away on Monday morning at his residence after a massive heart attack. He is survived by his wife, a retired Syndicate Bank officer and two sons. The cremation would take place at Bansilalpet on Wednesday, according to Prof. J.P. Dimri, a retired professor of Russian and a friend of Sastry for four decades.

Prof Vangala Shesha Srinivasa Sastry was head of the then Central Institute of English and Foreign Languages (CIEFL) between 2005-07. It was during his tenure as head the CIEFL had transformed into a full-fledged university by an Act of Parliament in 2007. An able administrator and distinguished academician, Prof Sastry had a chequered career. He did his Ph D in French from France and worked in Paris. Quite impressed by his knowledge of French, Sastry was specially invited by the then head of CIEFL, Prof. Ramesh Mohan to come to Hyderabad to set up Department of French and Sastry accepted it and joined it in 1973. He was instrumental in launching the Department of French at several other universities as well, leaving an indelible mark on French studies in the country.

He worked relentlessly for the promotion of French language, literature and culture and in recognition, the French government conferred its highest civilian award on Prof. Sastry He worked as the Registrar of the University and also as its Rector for some time. When some officials in Ministry of HRD tried to block his appointment as Vice Chancellor of the University, he fought with grit legal cases in the High Court of AP and Supreme Court and got orders in his favour.

But when the University was given the status of a central university, he was unceremoniously replaced by another Vice Chancellor. The case is still pending in Supreme Court.