Mangaluru: The commerce and academic communities have lost a prominent figure from among their ranks as Prof. B S Raman passed away on Friday, July 27.

He died at the age of 81 in Ooty, Tamil Nadu, the same city where he was born. The popular professor is survived by his wife and two children.

Growing up, Raman was a brilliant child and always bagged ranks throughout his student career. He later joined St. Aloysius College as a lecturer and retired in the year 1995. He also headed the college’s commerce department for many years. The BBA course was introduced in the region for the first time by Raman and he also helped develop the commerce and accountancy subjects in the state. All of the commerce students who studied especially in Mangaluru, have been indirect recipients of Raman’s contributions as he had written over 100 books in commerce, economics, accountancy and law. These books are a part of the syllabus in many universities in the country.

Many of his students remember him fondly as a disciplinarian and a brilliant man.

A former student, Percy said, “Though he was very strict, he was a thorough gentleman. He was a true disciplinarian and a helpful person.”

Post his retirement, Raman stayed in Mangaluru after which he moved to Bengaluru and finally, went back to Ooty, where he spent the last few years of his life.

Raman’s funeral will be held on July 28 in Ooty.

St. Aloysius College also arranged for a condolence meeting today. The college will also be organising a public tribute meet which has been tentatively fixed for August 1, at 4.30 PM at the Eric Mathias Hall at their premises.