(Late) Prof. Ajay Mitra Shastri retired as Professor and Head of Dept. of Ancient Indian History, Culture and Archaeology from Nagpur University in 1994 after a distinguished academic career of about thirty-seven years. Prof. Shastri has been associated with several universities and professional organizations in various capacities. He has been Convenor of the Inscriptions program of the Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR), Chairman of the Advisory Board (Ancient Period) of the National Commission of History of Science of Indian National Science Academy, Member of History Panel of the University Grants Commission (UGC), National Lecturer in History and National and Emeritus Fellow of UGC, Senior Fellow of ICHR, Sectional President of conferences of Indian History Congress, All-India Oriental Conference, Andhra Pradesh History Congress, Maharashtra Itihas Parishad , General President of Conferences of Numismatic Society of India, Epigraphical Society of India, Indian History and Cultural Society, etc. He has delivered several prestigious lecture series and received several coveted honours and awards including the Fellowship of the Royal Numismatic Society, Akbar Silver and Altekar Gold Medals of Numismatic Society of Indian, James Campbell Memorial Gold Medal of Asiatic Society of Bombay, Plaque of Honour of Coin Study Circle (Calcutta). copperplate of honour of Epigraphical Society of India, Jijamata Puraskar of Chhatrapati Pratishthan, Nagpur, etc. He has authored/edited 24 works, contributed about 450 research papers, reviews and forewords and chapters to several prestigious learned series. Two festschrifts have been brought out for him, Professor Ajay Mitra Shastri Felicitation Volume edited by Dr. S.K. Bhatt from Indore (1988) and Ajay-sri (in two parts) edited by Shri Devendra Handa from Delhi (1989). Prof. Shastri left for his heavenly abode on 11the January, 2002.
