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Obituary Notice
305
According to the original provision there were to be three Professors in the Institute, and since Dr. Taraporwala and Dr. Katre bad specialization in the same subject (Indo-European Philology), a situation arose in which Dr. Katre would have to leave the Deccan College. But the experts who then guided the destiny of the Deccan College had realized the value of Dr. Katre for the all-round development of the Institute and hence, as a special case, they arranged for the provision of a fourth Professor. As it happened Dr. Taraporwala resigned his post only two years later (1942) and, in his place, Dr. Katre was appointed the next Director. He thus bappens to be the youngest Director of the Institute and also the one who occupied-that post for the longest duration (1942-1971). His name has justifiably been identified with the Deccan College, so much so that the Government Bungalow No. I on the campus in which Dr. Katre lived from 1950'-1971 is even now known as Dr. Katre's Bungalow although some four or five persons have lived there after 1971,
Dr. Katre's successful career in the Deccan College has various facets. The most promnient among these pertain to 1 ) the planning of the Dictionary of Sanskrit on Historical Principles, 2) the impetus to the study and teaching of Linguistics in all parts of India, and 3) the various publications of the Deccan College.
Dr. Katre, it appears, had in mind the organizing of the great Historical Sanskrit Dictionary even as he joined the Deccan College in 1939. His plan was no doubt very bold and needed the cooperation of many scholars. This meant availability of large funds which were not immediately at his disposal. The annual budget of the Deccan College in those days was only Rs. 75,000, just enough to maintain the staff and to carry on the routine administration. But Dr. Katre was not willing to wait till he could gather around him sufficient number of scholars and was assured of enough financial support. Robust optimism was the mainstay of his character. He made a very inodest start almost immediately after he took charge as Director of the Institute in 1942. He initiated a limited project of Dictionary of Inscripti. onal Sanskrit. He appointed two assistants for this purpose (the present writer being one of them ) and got started the work of collecting material from published Sanskrit inscriptions. His idea was highly practical. Even if Dr. Katre had failed to make a start for his ambitious plan of the great dictionary, he could have certainly completed this small dictionary of
During the second world war, the Deccan College was temporarily shifted to another Flace in the city where it remained from 1940 to 1950, 39 (Annals BORI)
Madhu Vidya/731
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