Veteran journalist Madhav Vittal Kamath, popularly known as MV Kamath, died in Kasturba Hospital in Manipal on Thursday morning. He was 93.

Quoting Dr (Col) M Dayananda, Medical Superintendent and COO of Kasturba Hospital, Manipal, a press release issued by Manipal University said: “He died of cardiac arrest at 7.30 am. He was suffering from spondylosis for some time.”

The funeral will be held on Thursday evening. His body will be kept for public viewing at Nutana Ravindra Mandapa at MGM College in Uudpi from 1 pm to 4 pm, and will then be taken to his ancestral house in Kadabettu in Udupi. It will be kept there for an hour after which the funeral will be held.

Education

Born on September 7, 1921, in Udupi, he had his education in St Cecily’s Convent, Christian High School, and Board High School in Udupi, and Government College in Mangalore. He got his degree in chemistry and physics from St Xavier’s College in the then Bombay in 1941.

Chemist to journalist

He began work as a dye chemist in Bombay in 1941 and switched to pharmaceuticals and served as an analytical chemist. He went on to become an assistant factory manager at Oriental Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd.

His journey as a journalist began in 1946 as a reporter for the Free Press Journal in Bombay. Later, he was sent to Delhi as a special correspondent, covering the Constituent Assembly and the trial of Nathuram Godse.

He was present at the ceremony announcing India's Independence at midnight on August 14, 1947.

He served as editor-in-charge of the Free Press Journal from 1950 to 1955.

Kamath was appointed as special correspondent of the Press Trust of India (PTI) at the United Nations, New York, from 1955-1958.

He served as European correspondent of the Times of India at Bonn in Germany from 1959-63, and served as Sunday editor of the Times of India from 1967-1969. He was the Washington correspondent of the paper from 1969-1978.

He served as editor of the Illustrated Weekly of India from 1978-1981.

Kamath was a board member of the Dr TMA Pai Foundation, and member of the board of management of Manipal University. He was the Chairman of Prasar Bharathi for some years.

Kamath held honorary directorship of the School of Communication of Manipal University since its inception in 1997. Kamath celebrated his 93rd birthday with the faculty and students of the school last month.

He was awarded the Padma Bhushan for his contribution to Indian journalism in 2004.

Books

Kamath wrote over 45 books on different topics, the latest being one on Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

He had also written the history of five banks -- Canara Bank, Corporation Bank, Syndicate Bank, Saraswath Co-operative Bank, Shamrao Vittal Co-operative Bank.

Condolence

Ramdas M Pai, Chancellor of the University, said in his death Manipal University has lost a treasure. He was greatly responsible for the growth of the School of Communication, which is today among the best communication schools in the country. He would be missed by students and faculty alike, Pai said.

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