NEW DELHI: The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) is mourning the passing of its former National President Professor Ashok Gajanan Modak, a distinguished scholar, academic administrator, author, and public thinker whose life’s work significantly shaped student movements, educational discourse, and public policy in India.
Professor Modak served as the National President of ABVP from 1985 to 1989, a crucial phase when the organisation expanded its engagement with issues related to education reforms, national consciousness, and student leadership. During his tenure, he provided strong ideological clarity and organisational direction, strengthening ABVP’s role in both academic and social spheres.
An accomplished academic, Prof Modak held postgraduate degrees in Economics and Political Science and earned his PhD from Jawaharlal Nehru University on the subject of Soviet Economic Assistance to India. His academic career spanned several prestigious institutions. He served as a Reader at the Centre for Soviet Studies, University of Mumbai, an Adjunct Professor at the Central Eurasian Studies Centre, and later as Chancellor of Guru Ghasidas Central University, Bilaspur, contributing extensively to higher education and research administration.
Beyond academia, Prof Modak also played an active role in public life. He was a Member of the Maharashtra Legislative Council from 1994 to 2006, where his contributions earned him the Best Member Award, among other recognitions. Between 2015 and 2020, he was appointed as a National Research Professor by the Government of India, one of the highest academic honours in the country. He also served as an Executive Member of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR).
A prolific scholar, Prof Modak authored over 40 books and published more than 200 research papers, with research work conducted in academic centres across New Delhi, Moscow, The Hague, and London. His lectures and writings reflected deep engagement with Indian thought, culture, and values, and he was widely regarded as a profound interpreter of India’s civilisational and intellectual traditions. He was our regular contributor to Organiser Weekly and was an expert on foreign policy, Swami Vivekananda, and integral humanism.
Leaders of ABVP, including National President Prof Raghuraj Kishore Tiwari, National General Secretary Dr Virendra Singh Solanki, National Organising Secretary Ashish Chauhan, Joint Organising Secretary Devdutt Joshi, and Executive Council member Prof Milind Marathe, expressed deep condolences to the bereaved family. They described Prof Modak as a guiding light whose multidimensional personality will continue to inspire generations of ABVP workers and scholars.
Professor Ashok Gajanan Modak’s life remains a testament to the enduring power of ideas, scholarship, and principled public service, leaving behind a legacy that will resonate far beyond the institutions he served.
