Dr Sharanabasawappa Appa passed away

Kalaburagi: The 8th Peetadhipathi (religious head) of Saharanabasaveshwar Sansthan Dr Sharanabasawappa Appa passed away on Thursday night.

He is survived by wife Dakshayani Appa, seven daughters and son. He made a mark in the religious field as well as revolutionising education and started Sharanabasava Residential Public School and Appa Public School.

He completed his postgraduate degree from Karnataka University, Dharwad, was later a syndicate member at the same university. He exerted pressure on the government to start a postgraduate centre in Kalaburagi.

Later, Appa, who worked hard to become an independent university, served as the chairman of the committee appointed by the government to identify the land and other facilities required for the start of the university.

After Appa's ascension as the 8th Peethadhipathi of Sharanabasaveshwar Samsthan and the president of Sharanabasava Vidyavardhak Sangha in 1983, he introduced a quality education. The Sharanabasava Residential Public School established by him opened the door to professional education to thousands of students of Kalyana Karnataka.

Under Appa's leadership, the Sangha entered a new horizon of higher education and Sharnbasva University has emerged as a major centre of excellence that offers greater scope for research activities. Appa has been credited with starting the first specialised engineering college for women in North Karnataka and the second college in Karnataka itself, with great emphasis on the educational empowerment of women.

He has also laid special emphasis on opening up employment opportunities in all the educational institutions run by the Sangha, including Sharnbasva University. Women constitute more than men in the total number of employees in educational institutions.

He established an engineering college in Surpur of Yadgir district. Appa is credited with starting a chain of degree colleges and other educational institutions in the rural areas of Yadgir, Bidar and Kalaburagi districts.

With the aim of ensuring that students from the Kalyana Karnataka region compete on a par with other students in the state, Appa had started preparatory training for NEET, CET and JEE from the high school level in the educational institutions operating under Sharanabasava Vidyavardhaka Sangha.