A Lifetime of Dedication, Teaching, and Generosity : Chilukuri Santhamma

“Health is in our minds and wealth in our hearts. We should always keep our mind and heart healthy.” ~Professor Chilukuri Santhamma

Where is she going? To the hospital? No, our assumptions are entirely wrong. With two walking sticks in her hands, she reaches the classrooms of Centurion University in Andhra Pradesh, traveling 60 kilometers daily by bus to teach. At 95 years old, she teaches Medical Physics, Radiology, and Anesthesia. Under her guidance, 17 students have completed their doctorates (Ph.D.). She has translated the Bhagavad Gita into English and Telugu and is involved in extensive research. 

Advanced age and related health issues have failed to dampen the indomitable spirit of 93-year-old Professor Chilukuri Santhamma. Commuting over 60 kilometers a day, she continues to inspire students at Centurion University with her profound knowledge of Physics. For Professor Santhamma, Physics is her passion, and teaching is her purpose in life.

Supporting herself on crutches after undergoing knee-replacement surgeries, Professor Santhamma has been conducting classes at Centurion University for the past six years. Her teaching career spans an impressive seven decades, during which she has profoundly impacted countless young minds.

Her age doesn’t bother her. “My mother Vanajakshamma lived till 104,” she says. “Health is in our minds and wealth in our hearts. We should always keep our mind and heart healthy. I can’t compare myself to Albert Einstein, but I believe I am here for a purpose – to teach until my last breath,” adds the nonagenarian.

Professor Santhamma’s discipline, dedication, and hard work have left her peers and students in awe. “I never like to miss Prof Santhamma’s class. I always wait eagerly for her class. She is never late to class. She is a role model for us in discipline, dedication, and commitment. She is a walking and talking encyclopedia when it comes to the subject,” says Hasina, a first-year B.Sc. Optometry student, vouching for her professor.

Teaching is not her only passion. A philanthropist at heart, she donated her house to the Vivekananda Medical Trust and now lives in rented accommodation. Born in Machilipatnam on March 8, 1929, Santhamma lost her father when she was just five months old. Raised by her paternal uncle, she demonstrated academic brilliance early on, receiving a gold medal for Physics from Maharaja Vikram Deo Varma in 1945 while still an intermediate student at AVN College, Visakhapatnam.

“I can teach at least six classes a day,” says Santhamma. Her journey in Physics continued with a B.Sc. Honors and a D.Sc. in Microwave Spectroscopy from Andhra University. She joined the College of Science at Andhra University as a Physics Lecturer in 1956. Over the years, she held various positions, including Professor, Investigator, and Reader, and worked with central government departments such as the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), University Grants Commission (UGC), and Department of Science and Technology (DST).

Though she officially retired at 60 in 1989, retirement was merely a formality for Professor Santhamma. She shifted her focus to research, rejoining Andhra University as an honorary lecturer for six more years. Her routine begins at 4 a.m., meticulously preparing notes for the day’s classes. “Time and energy are the two important factors in teaching. I always keep that in my mind. I travel at least 60 km daily from Vizag to Vizianagaram,” she says. Her dedication to her profession has taken her to numerous countries, including the US, Britain, Canada, and Spain, to attend conferences.

Professor Santhamma’s contributions to Atomic and Molecular Spectroscopy have won her several awards, including a gold medal in the Veteran Scientists’ class in 2016. “Former vice-chancellor of Andhra University and the current vice-chancellor of Centurion University in Vizianagaram, Prof GSN Raju, was my student,” she says proudly.

Beyond Physics, she has a keen interest in the Puranas, Vedas, and Upanishads. She authored “Bhagavad Gita – The Divine Directive,” an English translation of the Bhagavad Gita slokas. “My husband, Chilukuri Subrahmanya Sastry, passed away a few years ago. He was a Telugu professor and introduced me to the Upanishads. I have been studying them to release a book soon on topics that could be useful for the younger generation,” she adds.

Her aim is to record her name as the oldest professor in the Guinness Book of World Records. Such a great inspiration to us all. If you have a strong will and determination, no age can stop you from achieving anything. Let’s all be inspired by her to do something different and great. My heartiest tributes to this great.

Dr. Santhamma’s story is a powerful reminder that we can continue to contribute meaningfully to society at any age. Her unwavering spirit and lifelong dedication to education serve as an inspiration to us all, proving that the joy of giving extends far beyond the confines of time.

Our heartiest tributes to this great lady teacher,Santamma.