- 29 January, 2026
New Delhi, January 29, 2026 — Padma Shri awardee Jesuit priest and eminent educationist Father Thomas V. Kunnunkal S.J., a pioneering figure in India’s education system, passed away in Delhi on January 28 at the age of 99. He died at the Jesuit Residence attached to St. Xavier’s School, Civil Lines.
Widely regarded as a towering presence in India’s educational landscape, Father Kunnunkal was best known for his leadership of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE). Invited by then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, he served as Chairman of CBSE from 1980 to 1987, a period during which the board emerged as the benchmark for school education in the country. He had earlier served two terms as principal of St. Xavier’s School, Delhi, from 1962 to 1974 and again from 1977 to 1979.
In recognition of his outstanding contribution to education, the Government of India conferred on Father Kunnunkal the Padma Shri, the country’s fourth-highest civilian honour, in 1974. In 2006, he was also selected as an honorary fellow of the Commonwealth of Learning, Vancouver—an intergovernmental organisation under the Commonwealth Heads of Government dedicated to promoting education.
A major milestone in his career was his role in establishing the National Open School in November 1989 as an autonomous institution under the National Policy on Education, 1986, through the Union Ministry of Education. As the founding chairperson, he led the institution until 1992. The organisation, now known as the National Institute of Open Schooling, has grown to become the largest open schooling system in the world.
Father Kunnunkal also contributed to national policy-making as a member of two Union government bodies—the National Commission for Teachers and the National Commission for Review of the National Education Policy. In addition, he served as director of the Jesuit-run Indian Social Institute in New Delhi and as president of the Islamic Studies Association, a non-governmental organisation committed to fostering religious harmony.
Born on July 3, 1926, in Alappuzha, a coastal town in Kerala, Father Kunnunkal joined the Society of Jesus on June 20, 1945, after completing his schooling. He pursued higher studies in the United States, earning master’s degrees in English, Educational Administration, and Educational Measurement. He was ordained a priest on June 18, 1958, at West Baden in the United States, where he had undertaken theological studies.
Deeply associated with the Jesuit Education Association of India—which oversees 101 high schools and 25 colleges across the country—Father Kunnunkal served the body in various capacities, including as president and general secretary during different terms.
An author as well as an administrator, he published 'The Role of Teachers in National Regeneration' in 2005, reflecting his lifelong commitment to the transformative power of education.
The funeral Mass will be held at 3 pm on January 30. Prior to the funeral, his mortal remains will be kept at the Millennium Hall of St. Xavier’s School from 1 pm on the same day to allow the public to pay their final respects.
Father Thomas V. Kunnunkal’s legacy endures through the institutions he built, the policies he shaped, and the generations of students and educators he influenced across India.
By Catholic Connect Reporter
© 2026 CATHOLIC CONNECT POWERED BY ATCONLINE LLP
