Father Thomas V Kunnunkal, Former CBSE Chairman and Padma Shri Awardee, Passes Away at 99

Exam-focused facts from the 2 February 2026 current affairs briefing.

Key facts

Father Thomas V Kunnunkal, a Jesuit priest and former chairman of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), passed away in Delhi at the age of 99.
He served as the chairman of the CBSE from 1980 to 1987 and is credited with transforming the board into a national academic benchmark.
He was conferred with the Padma Shri in 1974 for his significant contributions to the field of education.
Father Kunnunkal played a key role in conceptualising and establishing the National Open School under the National Policy on Education (NPE), 1986.
He served two terms as the principal of St. Xavier’s School in Delhi, where he banned corporal punishment in 1970 and introduced full-time student counsellors.
Born in Alappuzha, Kerala, in 1926, he held master’s degrees in English, Educational Administration, and Educational Measurement from the United States (US).
His other leadership roles included serving as the director of the Indian Social Institute (ISI) in New Delhi and the president of the Islamic Studies Association.