Former governor and education pioneer D Y Patil died in Kolhapur Tuesday. He was 90. Widely recognised in Maharashtra as "Shikshanmaharshi," or visionary educationist, Patil, who served as the Governor of Tripura, Bihar, and West Bengal, left an enduring legacy across education, healthcare, and sports.
Dnyandeo Yashwantrao Patil began his political career with the Congress party, but later stepped away from active politics to focus on education.
He served as the mayor of Kolhapur from 1957 to 1962, and was elected as an MLA from the Panhala constituency in 1967 and 1972.
First engineering college in Navi Mumbai
Born on October 22, 1935, in Ambap, a small agrarian village in the Kolhapur district, he carved out a niche primarily in education.
In 1983, he established the Ramrao Adik Institute of Technology (RAIT), the first engineering college in Navi Mumbai. The Patil family runs engineering colleges, a medical college, and a school in Pimpri-Chinchwad and Pune.
As many as three deemed universities, 6 private universities, and more than 180 educational institutions operate in cities such as Kolhapur, Mumbai, and Pune under the D Y Patil Group.
In recognition of his contributions to education and social service, he was honoured with the prestigious civilian award, the Padma Shri, in 1991.The D Y Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai is named after him.
He is survived by four sons and a daughter.
His sons Dr Sanjay D Y Patil, Satel Patil, Vijay D Y Patil, Dr Ajinkya D Y Patil, and daughter, Dr Nandita Palshetkar, and other members are active in the education and healthcare sectors. Satej, a former Maharashtra minister of State for Home, Dr Sanjay, and his grandson Ruturaj Patil are active in politics and social work.
