IIT Delhi dean infrastructure KC Iyer dies of COVID-19

NEW DELHI: Indian Institute of Technology Delhi lost its dean, infrastructure, K C Iyer, to COVID-19 late on Saturday night. “The man who told all of us to STAY SAFE is no more with us”, said V Ramgopal Rao in a social media post.

Iyer was in the ICU since May 2. He has been fighting a long battle but had started showing signs of improvement. “Prof. Iyer was such a valuable member of the community and the administrative team at IIT Delhi. No words of sorrow can explain what we are feeling. Every construction activity you see on the campus bears his signature,” said Rao.

A civil engineer by training, Iyer had studied and conducted research at three IITs before coming to IIT Delhi. He had done his BTech at IIT-BHU (Banaras Hindu University), MTech at IIT Kanpur and PhD at IIT Madras. Before joining IIT Delhi he had also worked in industry for over a decade.

IIT Delhi campus

In the post addressed to the faculty and alumni community, Rao said: “We have been working closely for three years, meeting almost every alternate day.” The infrastructure dean’s page shows there were over half a dozen projects in the works that Iyer was currently working on including a new academic complex and boys' and girls' hostels.

“The news of [the] untimely demise of Prof KC Iyer has devastated me. I have lost a wonderful friend and a colleague. He was a dedicated and trustworthy person. He used to put his heart & soul in every project he was involved in at IITD. He was a great Samaritan. May the noble soul rest in peace. I sincerely pray to the Paramatma to give courage to the family to be able to bear the irreparable loss. It's a great loss to the IITD too,” said Sunil Pandey, professor, JNU.

“One of the most active and lively person[s] I have ever met..will always remember the great interactions with him”, said Smita Kashiramka, associate professor, IIT Delhi.

In April this year, a PhD student of IIT Delhi died of COVID-19 after going home.

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