President Pranab Mukherjee has condoled the passing away of prominent author and historian Professor Bipan Chandra.
In his condolence message to Prof. Chandra's son, Bikas Chandra, the President said, "I am extremely saddened to learn about the passing away of your father, Prof. Bipan Chandra."
Professor Chandra died on Saturday morning in his sleep at the age of 86.
According to his family, Chandra died around 6 am on Saturday morning at his home at the National Media Centre in Gurgaon. He had not been keeping well for the last few months.
Condoling Chandra's death, President Mukherjee said, "I convey my heartfelt condolences to the members of the bereaved family and his countless fans and friends. I pray to the Almighty to give you and your family the strength and courage to bear this irreparable loss."
"Prof. Bipan Chandra was one of the foremost scholars in our country on modern India. For his immense contribution towards the study of Indian history, he was honoured with a Padma Bhushan. He will be missed by his large number of friends, colleagues and students," the president added.