Eminent educationist and former education adviser to the Union government Kireet Joshi passed away here on Sunday after battling cancer. He was 83.
Mr. Joshi breathed his last at around 5 a.m. on Sunday at the Ashram Nursing Home where he had been undergoing treatment for the past few months.
Mr. Joshi was selected for the Indian Administrative Services in 1955 and posted as Assistant Collector of Surat, Gujarat in 1956. However, he resigned his job the same year in order to study and practise the Integral Yoga of Sri Aurobindo at Puducherry. He was appointed as the Registrar of Sri Aurobindo International Centre of Education in 1958.
In 1976 the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi appointed him as the educational adviser to the Government of India. He was instrumental in redesigning and redrafting of the Bill for Vishwa Bharati University, Shantiniketan. He is also credited with seeding the idea of the Indira Gandhi National Open University as also of Pondicherry University.
In 1981 Mr. Joshi was appointed Secretary of Auroville International Advisory Council.
He served as the Educational Adviser to the Gujarat Chief Minister from 2008 to 2010.
