Pioneer of Computer Science Education in India Prof. Vaidyeswaran Rajaraman passes away at 92
Bengaluru: Prof. Vaidyeswaran Rajaraman, considered the Pioneer of Computer Science Education in India, passed away at home in Tata Nagar on Saturday due to age-related health issues. He was 92.
Prof. Rajaraman was born in 1933 and strove for six decades to develop computer science education in India. He also played a prominent role in setting up the country’s first computer science program at IIT Kharagpur, which was a stepping stone for the country's technological revolution.
Chairman of the Supercomputer Education and Research Centre at IISc, Bengaluru, from 1982 to 1994, the professor was instrumental in developing India's supercomputing and alternative computing capabilities, thereby contributing to strengthening research institutions with cutting-edge computing resources.
Known to have mentored several renowned names in the field of science and technology in India, Prof Rajaraman was teacher of Farooq Chand Kohli, the first Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Tata Computer Sciences (TCS), as well NR Narayan Murthy, co-founder of Infosys.
"I was his student at IIT Kharagpur in the 1960s. He was not only a genius and a scholar but also always available for any kind of guidance. His wife Dharma too was a patron of every student in the EE Department of IIT-K," Narayana Murthy has said.
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Health Department launches leprosy awareness campaign in Dakshina Kannada, district reports 47 cases
Mangaluru: The Health Department launched on Friday the Sparsh Leprosy Awareness Campaign, to promote early detection and treatment to the disease and also to educate people in the district about leprosy.
The campaign, which is a nationwide initiative, will continue till February 13.
According to a report by Deccan Herald, District Health Officer Dr. HR Thimmaiah has said that 47 cases of leprosy were reported in Dakshina Kannada till December in 2025-26.
He has stressed on the need for early detection and treatment of the disease as it would prevent complications prior to detection. He also stressed on creating awareness, increasing community participation in cases of early detection. “People should not neglect white or brown patches without sensation on their skin,” the DHO advised.
Dr. Thimmaiah added that people diagnosed positive would be treated with free Leprosy Multidrug Therapy (MDT). “The government also provides Disability Prevention and Medical Rehabilitation (DPMR), splints, self-care kits, multicellular rubber footwear, and reconstructive surgery to patients. People can log on to sanjeevani.opd or esanjeevani.in for free teleconsultation if they come across any symptoms of the disease,” he added.
Referring to social stigma attached to leprosy, the DHO called it a challenge and said that the Department had planned awareness programmes in rural areas in collaboration with gram panchayats to ensure that there is no discrimination of patients. “ASHA workers and staff from other departments will be trained to create awareness among the people to overcome social stigma. A door-to-door campaign will be conducted. In addition, officials will visit educational institutions to create awareness among students,” he said.
Speaking about the leprosy cases in Dakshina Kannada, Dr. Thimmaiah said that the 47 cases were reported between April and December, with 42 being diagnosed as multibacillary (MB) leprosy and five as paucibacillary leprosy. One child too has been detected with leprosy during the year, he added.
He said that the district reported 29 cases in 2020-21, 39 in 2021-22, 75 in 2022-23, 62 in 2023-24, and 43 in 2024-25. The number of cases was higher in 2022-23 as patients were not able to visit hospitals during the Covid-19 pandemic in the previous years, the DHO informed.
