A CORRESPONDENT
DIBRUGARH: Eminent neurologist, teacher and former Principal of Assam Medical College, Dr. Narayan Upadhyaya, passed away on Sunday at Assam Medical College while undergoing treatment. He breathed his last at 2:22 pm. He had been battling monocytic leukaemia for nearly two years.
Born on April 14, 1949, at Rahmaria near Chabua to Prajapati Upadhyaya and Dikrupa Upadhyaya, Dr. Upadhyaya grew up amid considerable financial hardship. Following the devastating earthquake of 1950 and subsequent floods, his family was forced to move to Balijan Ban village near Digboi.
He received his early education at Balijan Primary School and Saumar Vidyapith and passed the matriculation examination in the first division. In 1967, he secured admission to Assam Medical College and completed his MBBS in December 1971, securing ninth position in the university. He subsequently pursued an MD in Medicine from Gauhati Medical College.
Driven by an enduring quest for knowledge, Dr. Upadhyaya went to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, in 1982, where he completed his DM in Neurology. In 1995, under a WHO fellowship, he underwent advanced training at the prestigious Queen Square Institute of Neurology in London.
After returning to Assam, Dr. Upadhyaya made significant contributions to the development of the Department of Neurology and the strengthening of medical education. He served as Professor and Head of the Department of Neurology and later as Principal of Assam Medical College.
Beyond medicine, he had a deep interest in literature, philosophy, Sanskrit and Indian spiritual thought. His intellectual curiosity and commitment to learning remained defining features of his life.
He is survived by his wife, Manju Upadhyaya, daughters Vinita and Manisha, son Bhaskar, and a large circle of family members, students, colleagues, patients and well-wishers.
Dr. Upadhyaya’s life was a remarkable example of perseverance, continuous learning, knowledge-sharing and service to society. Rising from difficult circumstances, he established a distinguished reputation in the medical field at both the national and international levels.
His death is being mourned as an irreparable loss to the medical fraternity and to all those whose lives he touched through his teaching, treatment and service.