Vanaja Iyengar (died 2001) was an Indian

mathematician A mathematician is someone who uses an extensive knowledge of mathematics in their work, typically to solve mathematical problems. Mathematicians are concerned with numbers, data, quantity, structure, space, models, and change. History On ...

educationist Education is a purposeful activity directed at achieving certain aims, such as transmitting knowledge or fostering skills and character traits. These aims may include the development of understanding, rationality, kindness, and honesty. Var ...

and the founder vice-chancellor of

Sri Padmavati Mahila Visvavidyalayam Sri Padmavati Mahila Visvavidyalayam (Sri Padmavati University) is a women's university in Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh, India. It was established as a state university by the Andhra Pradesh legislature in 1983 to provide Higher Education in general ...

Tirupati Tirupati () is a city in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is the administrative headquarters of the Tirupati district. The city is home to the important Hindu shrine of Tirumala Venkateswara Temple and other historic temples and is refe ...

, in the south Indian state of

Andhra Pradesh Andhra Pradesh (, abbr. AP) is a state in the south-eastern coastal region of India. It is the seventh-largest state by area covering an area of and tenth-most populous state with 49,386,799 inhabitants. It is bordered by Telangana to the ...

. She was one of the founders of the Andhra Mahila Sabha School of Informatics. The

Government of India The Government of India (ISO: ; often abbreviated as GoI), known as the Union Government or Central Government but often simply as the Centre, is the national government of the Republic of India, a federal democracy located in South Asia, c ...

awarded her the fourth highest civilian honour of

Padma Shri Padma Shri (IAST: ''padma śrī''), also spelled Padma Shree, is the fourth-highest Indian honours system, civilian award of the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan. Instituted on 2 January 1954, ...

in 1987.

Biography

Born in the undivided

, she completed her early education at

Hyderabad Hyderabad ( ; , ) is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Telangana and the ''de jure'' capital of Andhra Pradesh. It occupies on the Deccan Plateau along the banks of the Musi River (India), Musi River, in the northern part ...

and obtained higher education in Mathematics from

Cambridge University , mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts. Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge. , established = , other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...

in 1950, after which she visited Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia and Hungary as a part of student forums. Her career started as a member of faculty at

Osmania University Osmania University is a collegiate public state university located in Hyderabad, Telangana, India. Mir Osman Ali Khan, the 7th Nizam of Hyderabad in 1918 , He released a farman to establish OSMANIA UNIVERSITY on the day of 28 August 1918. It ...

and worked in two of the colleges affiliated to the university, University College for Women, Koti (Osmania Women's College) and

Nizam College The Nizam College is a constituent college of Osmania University established in 1887 during the reign of Mir Mahbub Ali Khan, Asaf Jah VI, in Basheerbagh, Hyderabad, Telangana. History The Nizampur University College was originally the "Mirsar ...

. During her tenure at Osmania, Iyengar secured a doctoral degree in mathematics from the

University of Delhi Delhi University (DU), formally the University of Delhi, is a collegiate central university located in New Delhi, India. It was founded in 1922 by an Act of the Central Legislative Assembly and is recognized as an Institute of Eminence (IoE) ...

in 1958. She served Osmania University as a reader, professor, head of the department of Mathematics department and the principal of the University College for Women, Koti and held the post of the vice-chancellor for a while. When

, an all women university, was established in 1983, she was appointed as its vice-chancellor and continued at the post till 1986. She was also one of the founder members of the Osmania University Teachers Association. She was a life trustee of

Andhra Mahila Sabha Andhra Mahasabha ( Telugu: ఆంధ్ర మహాసభ, IAST: ''Āndhra mahāsabha'') was a people's organisation in the erstwhile Hyderabad state of India. The organization spearheaded people's awareness and people's movements among the ...

and she served organisation as its vice-president and the president, a post she held since 1994 till her death. She is also credited with articles on the topic of education.

Awards and recognition

In 1987, the

awarded Iyengar the civilian honour of

. She received the Best Teacher award from the

Government of Andhra Pradesh Government of Andhra Pradesh, abbreviated as, GOAP, or, Andhra Government, is the Subnational administrative division, subnational government for the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is an elected government with 175 Member of the Legislative ...

and was a fellow of the

Rajiv Gandhi Foundation The Rajiv Gandhi Foundation was established on 21 June 1991. The foundation works on a range of issues including literacy, health, disability, empowerment of the underprivileged, livelihoods and natural resource management. Its current focus ar ...

. She died in 2001, survived by her husband,

Mohit Sen Mohit Sen (born 24 March 1929, in Calcutta, and died in Hyderabad on 3 May 2003) was a communist intellectual. He was general secretary of the United Communist Party of India at the time of his death. Early life and education Sen was born into ...

, a known communist intellectual, who also died two years later.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Iyengar, Vanaja Recipients of the Padma Shri in literature & education Year of birth missing 2001 deaths 20th-century Indian mathematicians Indian women mathematicians 20th-century Indian women educational theorists 20th-century Indian educational theorists Alumni of the University of Cambridge Delhi University alumni Osmania University alumni Academic staff of Osmania University People from Chittoor district Scientists from Andhra Pradesh 20th-century Indian women scientists Women scientists from Andhra Pradesh Women educators from Andhra Pradesh Educators from Andhra Pradesh 20th-century women mathematicians 20th-century Indian women educators 20th-century Indian educators

Biography

Awards and recognition

See also

References