Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala University's former Vice Chancellor Dr John Vergis Vilanilam (87) is no more. He was bedridden due to age-related ailments for quite some time. He passed away at his house in Sreekariyam in Thiruvananthapuram on Wednesday.
His funeral will be held once his children reach Kerala from the US.
Vilanilam, who had about half a century's experience in education, research, and administration fields, has also worked in the US for many years.
He was born in Chengannur in 1935, to school teachers Chandy Vergis and Eliyamma. He was proficient in the English language right from childhood. After completing his MA from Banaras Hindu University, he worked as a faculty at Mar Thoma College, Thiruvalla and St Joseph's College, Devagiri. He was also an officer at MRF in Chennai, for a while.
He went on to do D Litt from Banaras Hindu University and another D Litt from Temple University in the US, in Mass Communication. His research paper also won him the James Markham Prize in 1975.
He was appointed as faculty when Kerala University started the department of journalism. A good number of people working in the English and Malayalam dailies are his students.
In 1992, he was appointed the university's vice-chancellor. Congress leader K Karunakaran was the chief minister then. Alleging that some of his degrees were fake, SFI, the student's wing of the CPM, unleashed a state-wide protest which at times turned violent.
SFI ended the protracted stir continued till 1996, after its representatives met VC for a conciliatory meeting. Later a government-appointed panel gave a clean chit to Vilanilam and ruled his degree was not fake.
Vilanilam has also written many books in journalism and mass communication, in both English and Malayalam languages.
