Prof. D.C. Reddy: Visionary VC who modernised Osmania

By Meghana Kakarlamudi

Former Vice-Chancellor of Osmania University Prof. D.C. Reddy, who passed away on 5th December 2025, is remembered by colleagues, students, and university staff as a visionary administrator whose reforms laid a strong foundation for the modernisation of the university.

Prof. Reddy served as the Vice-Chancellor from 1999 to 2002. During his tenure, Prof. Reddy introduced English-medium instruction, semester system, continuous evaluation scheme, and the credit and grade system. He streamlined PhD admissions and the thesis submission process.

He also played a key role in the introduction of new courses, opening of new centres, collaboration with foreign universities, and strengthening of academic discipline through mandatory 75 per cent attendance. These reforms are widely acknowledged as marking a new phase in the university’s evolution.

A professor of Electronics & Communication Engineering, Prof. Reddy strongly believed that quality education must be supported by financial sustainability. He worked to strengthen the University corpus fund to nearly ₹1,000 crore, and ensured that only the interest generated from the corpus was used, preserving the principal amount for long-term institutional development.

Several faculty members and staff shared their reflections. Dr. G. Srinivas Korremla, Associate Professor, Department of Commerce, and Chief Warden, Osmania University, recalled Prof. Reddy’s administrative clarity and commitment to academic discipline.

Dr. Ch. Parandhamulu, Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology, who was a post-graduate student at the time, recalled Prof. Reddy’s unwavering focus on quality and student welfare.

Those who knew Prof. Reddy personally remember him as a leader who valued interaction and feedback. “Quality is his motto,” recalled one academician, adding that his contributions remain unforgettable decades later.