In Prof Udupi Ramchandra Rao, Ballari has lost one of its most celebrated sons. Not many are aware that India's satellite man was the alumnus of Wardlaw School and Veerashaiva College in the city. Prof U R Rao had continued his special relationship with the city till his last breath.
“When U R Rao visited Veerashaiva College in 2015, we had shown him the attendance register when he was the student here. He was visibly pleased to see his name in the register,” Rudragowda, former secretary of Veerashaiva Vidyavardhaka Sangha, reminisced.
U R Rao, son of Lakshminarayan Acharya a cook by profession, had a testing childhood. He had his elementary schooling at the historic Wardlaw School in the city before moving to Udupi. As he could not afford intermediate education in Mangaluru, Prof Rao returned to Ballari and took admission at Veerashaiva College. He then moved to Anantapur where, he completed degree at Government Arts and Science College.
Ballari district has honoured its proud son, who went on to head India’s space agency, with Nadoja (by Hampi University) in 2001 and honorary doctorate by Vijaynagar Srikrishnadevaraya University in 2014.
Published 24 July 2017, 20:15 IST