Mangaluru: Dr. Arunachalam Kumar, one of the founder members of the Dakshina Kannada Rationalist Association (then called as South Kanara Rationalist Association) passed away on December 8 morning due to terminal illness. He was 68.

Born on April 27, 1949 Dr. Arunachalam Kumar, a native of Chennai had migrated to Mangaluru to pursue his studies. An alumnus of the Kasturba Medical College, he later went on to become Professor and Head, Dept. of Anatomy at the same institute. He has also served at Kanachur Medical College and was the former dean of K. S. Hegde Medical Academy (KSHEMA).

A Karnataka Rajyotsava Awardee(in the year 2002), Dr Kumar was an author, thinker, cricket follower, rationalist and was also quite popular among his students. He even made it to the Limca Book of Indian Records, 1994, for having the maximum range of scientific research papers in India.