Lt Col KS Rao

Lt Col KS Rao (Retd) and Mrs Shantha Rao occupied the highest place of respect in my mind ever since I had the good fortune to get to know them at MCTE in 1964.
Very unassuming couple, who always looked for opportunities to be of help to others; a highly technical signals expert who never showed off his knowledge. Their contribution to the Corps will ever be remembered.
We miss them. MAY THEIR SOULS REST IN PEACE.
May GOD give courage and strength to Dr. K.R.Rao & Mrs Nirmala Ram Mohan to carry fprward, all those values and humanity they stood for and enrich this world.
Brig G Natarajan, Signals

Lt Col Kambal Srinivasa Rao

Lt Col Kambal Srinivasa Rao (Retd.) SL-00214W left for his heavenly abode on 10th April 2011 at a ripe age of 83 years.
Born on 12th June 1929 in an orthodox Hindu Brahmin family, Kambal, as he was known to many of his colleagues and “Laddoo” to his friends, completed his B.Sc. (Physics) from Madras University and reached Banares Hindu University in a dhoti and shirt (donated by friends) to do research in Atomic Physics. Completing his M.Sc. in Electronics in 1951, he had enrolled for Ph.D. at BHU.
Fate played a hand at this stage in 1957, and requirement of funds for his family prompted him to join the Indian Army through Short Service Commission, when he joined the Corps of Signals. An option to continue with the army was again in store. Kambal found that his knowledge would be far more useful to the country’s needs through the defence services and progressed in the areas of Antenna engineering and Satellite communication – which was new technology during the 70s. After OLT at Mhow, he was sent to Telefunken, Germany to further adopt new technologies for the Army. So obsessed was he with his knowledge that he joined the HAM group with code sign “VU2RW” and was communicating through his personal transmitter (which he constructed on his own) setting an antenna over his residence.
Kambal was famous for his “Fault Dignostic Tester Trainer” which made him choose the pathway of Technical Officer Training (TOT), making the workforce of Corps of Signals more technical through training at STCs at Jabalpur, Goa and MCTE, Mhow.
During his service, his backbone deteriorated as he habitually used to lift his (heavy) paralytic father and keep on him on his scooter to take the aged person for treatment.
He retired from service in 1982 from Goa and joined Coal India Limited as Superintending Engineer (Telecom) providing the telecommunications network for the Coal fields all over India. He retired from Coal India Limited in 1984.
His wife Shantha, was his friend, philosopher & guide. She was adept at designing and creating works of art from waste materials – most popular one being “coconut shells”, of which an exhibition was held in Goa in 1983. She left for her heavenly abode in 2000.
Not undaunted by age and health problems he took up the ardous task of tutoring young students in Science & English, free of cost, only to give up at the age of 79.
Kambal is survived by his only son (Dr. K.R.Rao), daughter-in-law and two grand daughters with whom he was staying. It is as if the soul had quietly slipped into the fog, “Laddoo” is no more, but his memory will stay with us forever.

Bala,
K S Rao, a noble soul, it is unbelievable, has passed away. My close association with him was at Delhi, 1965-66. An affectionate person he was, used to encourage me when I was keen to join Army. Mrs Shantha Rao was equally made for each other with KS and we cannot forget them, the revered couple.Lakshmi and I pray for the soul rest in peace and bless all of us.
I am sure that this message would be read by Ram Mohan Rao. Our heart felt condolences for them.
With grief,
Visweswaran

Lt Col Kambal Srinivasa Rao

Dear Signallers,
I am sad to inform you about demise of Lt Col Kambal Srinivasa Rao, TOT, (Retired), on 10 Apr 2011, in a civil hospital at Vadodra.
Lt Col Kambal Srinivasa Rao was the only TOT, who was directly recruited as an officer. He died of acute pneumonia followed by heart attack.
For more details kindly see the email below received from Col VS Balan, Signals Veteran.
We pray to Almighty to give peace to the departed soul and strength to all near ones and dear ones to bear this irreparable loss.
Those of you who wish to write a "Shradhanjli", may kindly send it for being posted on our weblog -
http://reportmysignal-shradhanjli.blogspot.com/
The Shradhanjli be kindly emailed to - Col James Kanagaraj, The Moderator at - reportmysignalblogspot@gmail.com
In sorrow -
Chander Kamboj.

From: balan V.S
Sent: 16 April 2011 14:10
My dear Chander,
I came to know on 13th April that Lt Col Kambal Srinivasa Rao, (the only TOT who got directly commissioned as an officer) had passed away on 10th April 2011 at a civil hospital in Vadodara. His wife Mrs Shantha Rao had passed away in May 2000.
Their only son, Dr. Ram Mohan, a senior officer in ONGC was out of the country at that time. It was Col Rao's daughter-in-law, Mrs Nirmala Ram Mohan, who got KS admitted in the Hospital due to acute pneumonia, and after a day or so, he passed away due to heart failure. Ram Mohan was back from Europe in time to perform his Father's last rites.
I have asked Ram Mohan at Ankaleshwar (Phone No 094266 13038) to send me full details by email, and I have just received it. I am enclosing the same as an attachment.
There are many of us of the older lot who knew KS very well. May his soul rest in peace.
With regards,
VS Balan