Prof. C.K. Kokate, smiling, in a grey suit

In Loving Memory

Prof. C.K. Kokate

Former Vice-Chancellor, Kakatiya University · Former President, Pharmacy Council of India · Renowned author of the Pharmacognosy textbook

The UCPS KU USA Alumni Association mourns the passing of our beloved teacher, Prof. C.K. Kokate, at the age of 79. Generations of pharmacy students learned at his feet, and many of us owe our careers to the foundation he helped build at University College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kakatiya University.

His lifelong dedication to pharmacy education, his outstanding contributions to the profession and his invaluable guidance will always be remembered.

May his noble soul rest in peace. Om Shanti.

A remarkable life in pharmacy

Prof. Kokate became a full Professor in his early thirties, a rare achievement in India. He took our college to national prominence, and in the 1980s and 1990s a Kakatiya pharmacy degree carried real weight, in India and in graduate schools across the United States. He went on to serve the profession at the highest levels, including as Vice-Chancellor of Kakatiya University and President of the Pharmacy Council of India. His Pharmacognosy textbook has been a companion to pharmacy students across India for decades.

Reflections from our alumni

“Indeed, it feels like Sir departed too soon. Seventy-nine is not young, but when the person is our own, whether a parent or a beloved teacher, we always feel they should have lived a few more years, and then a few more… I am deeply grateful to Sir and all the other senior Professors at whose feet I learned whatever little Pharmaceutical Science I know.”

“In the early 1990s, those of us who came to the US for graduate studies would proudly announce our alma mater… Indian students who came with us would acknowledge that they had heard of Kakatiya University.”

Dr. Siva Digavalli

More tributes will be added as we receive them.

About us

UCPS KU USA Alumni Association is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit of more than 500 graduates of University College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kakatiya University, now living in the United States. We stay connected, support our alma mater and celebrate the teachers who shaped us.

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