Sameer Khandekar

Srinivas Garimella (wrote on 02 January 2024)I was really shocked, and grief stricken to hear the terrible news of Sameer’s untimely demise. In the past few years, I had come to know him, during informal interactions with him at conferences and during a visit to IITK last Fall. Sameer was a unique individual, dedicated to doing high quality research without compromise. He was clearly a great teacher and mentor, and had no airs about himself despite being very good at what he did, and he exuded enthusiasm and passion for his research area as well as for his profession and students. He always wanted to, and was making, a difference in people’s lives. He treated the profession as a calling, not simply as a job or as a means to fame and glory. He was very much in the mold of the great teachers and mentors I had the pleasure and privilege to experience as a student at IITK in the late 1970s and early 80s. In today’s world of nonstop marketing, there are not too any people like that. I was fortunate enough to have met and interacted with him, and to call him my friend. For a person with such a passion and drive for life and for the betterment of all around him to be plucked out of this earth at such a young age of 55 just seems so surreal and unfair. I will just have to focus on the fact that I had a chance to know him, and celebrate the legacy of research, mentored students, the family, and pride for India as a native son who did well that he left behind. This must have been particularly devastating for his students, whom he treated as members of his family. My sincere condolences to Sameer’s family and to the IITK community. He will be remembered fondly long after now by his students, friends and colleagues. May his soul rest in peace. Dr. Srinivas Garimella, Hightower Chair in Engineering Professor and Director, Sustainable Thermal Systems Laboratory Georgia Institute of Technology

LEFEVRE Frédéric (wrote on 28 December 2023)I am overwhelmed by Sameer's sudden death. Sameer was much more than an international academic collaborator. I truly considered him a friend. We spent a lot of time together travelling around France and India, sometimes in the presence of Pradnya and Pravah. They were so close, so inspirational. Sameer was due to visit us in Lyon this summer and my wife Gaëlle and I were so happy to see him again since my last visit to India in March 2020. I'll long remember the stimulating discussions we had while cooking in my apartment during his stay. Sameer taught me to know and love India. We are thinking of you all from France, especially Pradnya and Pravah, but also his close colleagues including Dr Muralidhar, at this very painful time. Prof. Frédéric LEFEVRE, INSA Lyon, France

Sameer was a great scientist and a man with large and kind heart. My heartfelt condolences to his family, friends and colleagues.

I joined the Math Dept in Dec. 2004, almost just after Sameer joined in Sept. My son, Karna, was with Pravah in Campus School. You, Pravah and Sameer enjoyed the Garba event (and its practice sessions, too), organized by the Gujarati Club, IIT Kanpur. This showed your family's interest in Gujarat's folk dance, Garba.

We are very shocked to hear the news. We pray that his soul rests in eternal peace, and Almighty God give you and Pravah enough strength to bear this untimely loss.

Om Shanti!

A smiling face was what you would encounter in Sameer each time you meet him. I had just the kind of interaction the morning before. Didn't know that would be the last one.

You will be missed Sameer. Loss of a dear colleague and a jovial friend. We have so many memories around campus and academic life. Your work for the social causes would continue to inspire us all. We pray for strength to your family to bear this untimely loss.

Your sudden and untimely passing is tough to digest. My deepest condolences to the bereaved family. May the soul rest in peace. Om Shanti.

Sameer my dear friend

As the official condolence is now over, my mind is slowly coming back to the reality that the loss of my dearest friend is not a bad dream and we have indeed lost him forever!

My relationship with Sameer started two decades back when he joined our department as a faculty colleague. As we were staying in the neighboring lanes, we got invitation for visiting his kitchen garden and have lunch together. This would be a similar winter noon, when I saw the person with full of energy cooking khichdi for all of us backed up efficiently by his great assistant the little Pravah. Though the occasion was very informal, but the first impression that he generated in my mind is still the same today - always spirited, always jumping, particularly if the work gets related to the community or the society.

I now come to the series of events of 21st December, 2023, the last day that I spent with my great friend. We had a scheduled meeting at Lucknow on some works related to Lucknow metro. As I am always lethargic, I gently suggested him if we can delay this visit and enjoy the vacation. However, as expected, Sameer said that we must complete our task within the scheduled time and hence, we must go. We had a wonderful day together starting with the informal review of our department and our joint research on SMA. In Lucknow, we jumped into the work ahead and finished the meeting successfully. He said, we should not waste time and might finish the minutes in the car itself while travelling back. However, to my great relief, in the car, he forgot about this and started happily to talk about his life – his journey of post graduation life towards IITK with vivid description. I was entirely immersed in his biopic and by the time we reached his home, my great friend said, he would now take a good soup to refresh himself and finish the minutes himself.

God only knows when we will meet again, but I’ll surely remind him about this little unfinished task and till then I would keep on thinking, how fortunate I was to spend a full day with our great friend before he started his great journey leaving us all alone! May his great soul have all the peace and happiness that heaven can bestow.

We are deeply saddened by the passing of Professor Sameer Khandekar . At present he was holding the position of the Dean of Students affairs. His contributions to academic ,social and cultural spheres of life here at the IITK were immense and his legacy will continue to inspire generations.He was an avid sports lover and would participate in some of them individually. His initiatives with corporates on their Corporate Social Responsibility endeavours were bringing lot of dividends and praise all around. I just met him 15 days back at the cricket ground. It was shocking to know about the death today due to cardiac arrest before him even turning 55. Our heartfelt condolences to their family, friends, and the academic community during this difficult time

I cannot believe Sameer is no longer with us …to me he is here right in front of my eyes. He came to see me 3 weeks ago in Perth and I was fortunate to have him at my home for dinner. We could give him pure vegetarian home-cooked food after days of travel, airline and restaurant food. He was very happy. He enjoyed walking around Perth, eating green salads, going around the Port of Fremantle, Rottnest Island (on his own in a ferry), and the Cottesloe beach, – short trips that connected his heart with shipping memories that he had from years ago. I remember he said that this is what he missed…the sea breeze and the smell of the ocean. He said “I crave for this”. I can’t forget those words, and he even send me a message that he will write to me what places I should be visiting when I travel to Rottnest Island in Western Australia. He was very bubbly, active, and walking around most places.

Sameer’s shock passing away is a huge loss for dear and near ones, the academic community, and students. He was an outstanding academic by all standards, and a nice human being with a mind-set to help people in finding ways to tackle problems in a simple way using basic engineering principles. He was more down-to-earth and connected with community more than with books and journals. Our prayers are for him to rest in peace, and to give courage for the family to overcome this period of grief. IIT Kanpur has lost one of its gems.

His life inspires us!

Professor Sameer Khandekar emanated endless energy, support, youthfulness, enthusiasm, positivity, hope and fun. He lived his life completely while owning and engaging with the realities around, by being in the moment and by acting to volunteer - for bringing a change. I was fascinated by his initiatives through Approach Cell whether it be Pottery or Music Classes or Kanpur City Heritage Tours. His attitude of owning social issues and volunteering for social organizations like Shiksha Sopan stand out. He is an inspiration for many like me - emphasizing to live one’s life to its fullest potential. He left this physical realm too soon – to be able to accomplish greater tasks hereafter. Feeling very sad while saying a “good bye”. His work, engagement and presence will continue to brighten our lives hereafter. May the Universe give more strength to all of us and especially his family – to be able to handle this sudden loss. My heartfelt prayers for his onward journey. Om shantih!

I never imagined that I would be writing this message to pay homage to Sameer, my good friend for past so many years. We worked together for past many years in multiple capacities. He was the Associate Dean of Innovation and Incubation during 2015-17 when I was also working in the same office as DORD and then lately we were working as Co-Deans. I always found him very cooperative and very easy to work with.

We lost a wonderful colleague, a wonderful person who was full of energy all the time. He was so versatile. He spread his activities in so many directions that the void created by his sudden demise can never be filled. Sameer was a great teacher, a great researcher, and he had excellent administrative capabilities. He always had smile on his face. He will be missed for ever. Wherever he is, we pray to the Almighty God to rest his soul in peace.

Hi Sir,

I am extremely shocked to know that you are not with us anymore. We met first during my PhD days at IIT Kanpur when you joined the institute in 2004/05. I worked with you and Ma'am closely during the PhD conference we organized in the mechanical department in 2007. You both as a family gave such a positive vibe of the academic world that I always wanted to imitate it in my academic journey. Being a facebook/linkedin follower of yours, gave me so many ideas how one can be enjoy every responsibility given (be it HoD of Mechanical Department or Dean of Student Affairs, IIT Kanpur), in otherwise very challenging academic world of today. You have set high standards for any academician to follow by not only setting benchmark in quality research or teaching but also administration. Your charisma and blessings will always be remembered. Rest in peace sir for all that you have contributed to this world in such a small time.

Dear Pravah,

I never imagined that I will be communicating these thoughts to you in such a manner, but such is the reality that destiny has written.

Your father had the rare ability to see a Pravah in every kid that he saw or interacted with. My last interaction with him was during the Antaragni night when I had my daughter sitting on my shoulders, and it caught the attention of your Baba as he was leaving the event. Almost instinctively, he took a picture of us and within an hour emailed it to me. When I thanked him for this kind gesture, he was effusive in sharing the picture of him and you at the Wagah border, having hoisted you in the same manner as I was with my little one. It was so kind and inspiring of him to share these personal experiences in a humane manner, which just showed how full of life he was, and was always in the mode of sharing this joy with others around.

It was remarkable how your Mom and Dad had recently put together an amazing exhibition of their experiences of excursions around Kanpur, just to communicate a message that beauty lies within oneself, only if one is out to explore it, and that we should take pride in what we have and feel blessed for it. Personally, it was an eyeopener for my family and me to see the kind of joyous details he had seen around Kanpur, and questioned our own perceptions and preconceived biases against the place we have been living in.

It is ironic that of late he had organized events promoting good health and stressed the message to look inwards, even as we go about our tasks relentlessly, again in his hope to spread the message around, and was perhaps the theme he was communicating when cruel fate decided otherwise. It is up to us to listen to his last words.

I wish you and Pradnyaji strength to come to terms with his physical absence, and to know fully well that his memories, experiences, thoughts and values that he inculcated in you will always be with you, and you can turn to them when life brings you challenges, and help you deal with those moments as your Baba would have liked you to! God bless you. May his soul be liberated from the circle of life and death. Prayers.

"ऐसा हो सकता है कि हम-तुम अब वर्षों दूर रहेंगे, लेकिन, याद रहे, उसी स्त्रोत - पिंड भास्कर से दोनों ऊर्जित - सिंचित रहेंगे।" - Words from Prof. Sameer Khandekar's Poem "Kaal Chakra Pravah"

The first day I met him, he fit well into my typical impression of a Professor (thanks to Albert Einstein). His approach towards life was simple, "do whatever you like, but once you decide the path, follow it confidently & tirelessly". His words were always reassuring to a student who was often found anxious about his research results in the lab. An artist within, he had a deep interest in Indian Classical Music, & could often be found sitting in the front row during the SPIC MACAY performances in the IIT Kanpur auditorium. His keen observation & fascination with visually appealing symmetries often pushed the student to put in some extra effort to learn & convey dense information through beautiful & easy-to-understand schematics.

My experience of him has enriched my life with the idea of a true Professor and an ideal supervisor. He taught me 'Heat & Mass Transfer' in my 3rd year. At the start of every lecture, the whole batch of ME used to wait for "what prototype is he going to bring in the class today". As a true experimentalist, there was hardly any lecture of that course in which he did not bring any apparatus/specimen - in the hope that at least a few of the students could have "ignited minds" by the end of the course. I do remember a few things that created ripples in my technological subconscious- the thermochromatic liquid crystal films, the specimen of gold thermal protection shield used in rockets, and an experiment to justify the lumped system model in heat transfer. Even during the COVID days, as the instructor of 'Refrigeration & Air Conditioning', he used to give continuous motivation through his unconventional mails (invoking the 'jawans at the border' several times) for the demotivated us.

As the dust of COVID started settling down & the campus started opening up, my excitement to meet him in his new role - as my supervisor - made me restless. Once we started going along, his perspectives & methodology made me awestruck. The lab he nurtured was perhaps one of the best in the whole of IIT Kanpur, not just in terms of the facilities & equipment, but also in terms of the culture. It is often said that a team is the reflection of its leadership. And here was a leader who knew no obstacles when it came to experimental research. His out-of-the-box ideas of conducting experiments could often beat the creativity of any young mind. His work ethic was unparalleled, & the amount of hard work he put into any of his commitments was exceptional. In the middle of one of the nights, when I was busy conducting experiments in the Phase Change Thermal Systems Laboratory, I found him hustling into the lab at around 12.30 am to complete his commitment towards, probably, a book. While I continued with my experiments throughout the night, I was awe-struck by the level of dedication shown by him. He was awake for the whole night, going back to his home at around 4 am, only to come back to the office & take lectures at 10 am that morning.

As a Teaching Assistant in his course, his trust in me to sort things out made me realize that gaining trust is, perhaps, the most important virtue that lies at the foundations of any human endeavour. Often the students had diverse views on issues of academic importance, but his accommodative & understanding nature was yet another defining feature of him. Rightly so, he was much concerned about the degrading student-teacher relationship as a universal phenomenon across the nation. He was firmly against the rising student perception of their teacher as just a 'service provider'. His concern continues to be serious in the present times, where the commodification of anything & everything is raging across the world, not even leaving the purest of the professions - the academia. He used to give me a lot of guidance not just on the technical aspects, but also on life. Whenever my experiment & simulation results did not come as expected, he was always there to give me a pep talk.

On one of my last days with him in the lab, he asked me whether I had enjoyed whatever I did in the lab or did it seem like a load. My answer was the former, & the contentment on his face (perhaps, owing to his yet another success in his definition of 'supervisor') was clearly discernible. He was my Professor and will always remain so.

May Maa Saraswati give Pradnya ma'am & my friend Pravah the courage to bear this tragic loss. May we continue getting inspired by his attitude towards mechanical engineering, technology, nation, & life as a whole. Om Shanti!

My memory of Prof. Khandekar is from last year when he invited me to give a faculty seminar in the ME department.

He was extremely hospitable during my visit. He offered me coconut juice on arrival and we sat down for a chat on the couch in his office. I remember telling him about my initial education in Mumbai and my knowledge of the Marathi language. I even share the title of Marathi poem from my school days on that day to him - Tap tap padti angawarti prajaktachi phule. He immediately connected with the poem. It is such a sad irony that we all had to say goodbye to him with flowers only a year or so later.

I remember that it was raining that day and he took me to the VH on his motorbike that day. He was really nice to interact with and a true gentleman. I truly admired him.

Kindly accept my deepest condolences and please convey the same to his family, Mrs Khandekar and his son Prabhav in particular. My heart goes out to them.

Sammer Sir was a real inspiration for all of us, after handling the role as DoSA, his excellent work whether in Diwali Celebration or in sending lovely mails shows his love and affection for students.

His sudden demise really shocked all of us.. We lost a gem today.

May God give his family the utmost courage in this situation..

Om Shanti.. RIP sir..

It is very difficult to accept that Sameer is not among us, any-more. An exceptionally talented, highly dynamic, caring, honest, creative, extremely hard-working and a to-go person for problems of different kinds, is lost too soon! He was a top-class researcher, was an administrator; yet he was very down-to-earth not only in his demeanour but also in practical sense. He served as his own, our institute, and for that matter, any organization that he associated himself with, in whatever capacity. I will always cherish the discussions that we used to have on many aspects of life: on research, on society, on administration, travel, photography and many others. He was a person with full of ideas. He was one such persons who took very little in life, yet gave others as much as he could. Sameer has left us too soon for his heavenly abode. I pray to Almighty that He gives strength to his loving family to bear this unfathomable loss and peace to the departed soul. Om Shanti.

We will miss his presence in the Instititute. I pray for peace for the departed soul.

It is impossible to forget the recurring words- "Shalabh ji, let us find the solution and get it done"- be it with or without holding any position, be it his job or someone else job. My interaction with Sameer and his family goes back more than 15 years. Sameer was a person full of positivity, always ready to venture with new ideas to improve life and surroundings, always willing to experiment with new concepts, living for the entire society, especially the underprivileged, courageous to travel from Kanpur to Mumbai on his bike, etc. He established an example of how to create a balance in academic, administrative, personal and family life. I have never found anyone who has not appreciated him. Sameer will remain unforgettable for me.

Pradnya ji and Pravah, this is the toughest test of life for both of you. Believe it or not, a solution is lying in future. The same God will show the path that has taken Sameer back. We need to have patience, understand God’s signals and follow them. There are no options for any of us except to accept the bitter truth, and we need to follow what he taught us. We all are with you always.
 

Let his soul Rest in Peace.

Sameer was an amazing individual. I fondly remember his passion for Govinda songs, bollywood music and that he would never shy away from making a dance move to an ongoing beat. An ever smiling person, with a loud laugh who knew how to live life. A loving husband and a father, and someone who cared deeply for people around. Its hard to imagine what his family is going through.

In any case, there can be no condolences to this; only hope that through collective grief we remind ourselves of how people enrich each other's lives just by their presence. Sameer, knowingly and unknowingly touched many lives with kindness and care. Bye Sameer, you (and us) deserved a better goodby

Professor Sameer Khandekar was a legendary scientist and spiritual person. His untimely death is a big loss for IIT Kanpur and this country. He was a very dynamic person. When he rode a bike, he looked like a rock star. It seems as if he is still standing in front of me. There is no feeling of his leaving. He was a versatile talented person. His wife is also a very talented woman. I pray that in this sad time, you may give them the strength to bear the unbearable grief caused by the loss of their life partner. May his son also be given the strength to bear the loss caused by the sudden demise of his great father.

I pray for peace to departed soul; and pray to GOD to give strength to bereaved family to bear this loss.