Former director of XLRI, Jamshedpur Fr. E. Abraham passed away on Wednesday morning due to a cardiac arrest at XIM, Bhubaneswar, where he was a member of the Governing Board.

He was 70 and an alumnus of XLRI's 1978 batch (Post Graduate Diploma in Personnel Management and Industrial Relations course).

Fr. E. Abraham was the longest-serving director of XLRI. His total tenure as director spanned over 16 years across two terms, from 1989 to 1994 and from 2008 to 2019.

All India Management Association (AIMA) conferred on Fr. E. Abraham the "AIMA - Kewal Nohria Award for Academic Leadership in Management Education" in 2019.

Fr. Abraham was also conferred the 'AIM - ASMA Lifetime Achievement Award' at the 3rd ASMA Annual Convention & Awards -2019.

Fr. Abraham was highly regarded as a champion of India's management academia and an eminent thought leader in academic governance who has immensely contributed to management education in India.

He was the founder-secretary of the National HRD Network and the founder-president of the Indian Association of Autonomous Business Schools.

He was also on the International Association of Jesuit Business Schools and Association of Asia Pacific Business Schools boards.

He has been the president of the Association of Indian Management Schools and was a board member at Institute of Rural Management Anand (IRMA).

He has also been a member of the National Board of Accreditation(NBA) and member of the All India Board of Management Studies.

Fr. Abraham served as a member of the Board of Governors at many Indian and foreign business schools, like XLRI Jamshedpur, St Xavier University Calcutta, St Xavier University Bhubaneswar, and Asian Institute of Management, Manila. He has received numerous accolades for his contribution to management education.

Funeral service

The funeral service will take place between 10.30 am 12 noon on July 16, Friday at Jamshedpur.

The faculty, staff and alumni members of XLRI will pay homage to Fr Abraham at Fr. Prabhu Hall in XLRI campus. The XLRI family will organise a memorial prayer service.

Between 12.30 pm and 2 pm homage will be paid to Fr Abraham by religious clergy and faithfuls at the Loyola School Chapel.

Burial at Jesu Bhavan Jesuit Cemetery at 3.30pm

XLRI officials said Covid-19 protocols will be followed strictly in every place.