Guiding force of TRS & former VC of Kakatiya University, Kothapalli Jayashankar died

Kothapalli Jayashankar, former Vice-Chancellor of Kakatiya University and ideologue for the separate movement died on 21 June 2011. He had been a guiding force for the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) in channelising the aspirations of its cadres, particularly the youth, for creation of a separate State of Telangana.

He played a key role in the TRS' negotiations with the Centre on 9 December 2009 that led to the announcement by Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram that the Government of India would begin the process of creating a separate State.

Jayashankar was born on 6 August 1934. He completed MA Economics and obtained Ph D from Osmania University. He began his career as teacher at CKM College and taught Economics. He served CKM, CIEFL, and Kakatiya University in several capacities until his appointment as Vice-Chancellor of the university in 1991. He was a member of National Commission for Enterprises in the Unorganised Sector during 2004–2006.