Ex-parliamentarian and academician Janardan Waghmare dies

Renowned educationist and former Rajya Sabha member Dr. Janardan Waghmare passed away in Maharashtra’s Latur city on Monday (March 2, 2026) morning after a brief illness, family sources said.

He was 91.

Waghmare was admitted to a hospital here on January 24 after falling ill. He breathed his last at his residence here at around 8 a.m. on Monday (March 2, 2026), the sources said.

He was a close aide to NCP founder Sharad Pawar and had been widely acknowledged for his lifelong contribution to education, literature and public service.

Waghmare was the founder and vice-chancellor of Swami Ramanand Teerth Marathwada University, Nanded.

Born on November 11, 1934, at Janwal village of Chakur tehsil, Waghmare served as a Rajya Sabha member from Maharashtra between 2008 and 2014. During his parliamentary tenure, he was a part of several key committees, including agriculture, human resource development, defence and external affairs.

He also served as the Latur Municipal Council president between 2001 and 2006.

Waghmare had established the Rajarshi Shahu College in Latur and served as its principal.

He was regarded as the architect of the ‘Latur Pattern’ for academic excellence, a model synonymous with students from the region dominating merit lists in board and entrance exams.

Waghmare also authored more than 80 books in Marathi, Hindi and English on education, social reforms, Dalit literature, philosophy and biographies, and several of his works received state-level literary awards.

He was a recipient of the Maharashtra Bhushan Award, Yashwantrao Chavan Literary Award and several government honours for his contribution to education and literature.

Waghmare also presided over major literary conferences across Maharashtra and at the national level.

His last rites will be performed at Kavtha village in the district on Tuesday (March 3, 2026).