Dr SS Badrinath, founder of Sankara Nethralaya and eminent vitreoretinal surgeon, passed away on Tuesday, 21 November, in Chennai. He was 83 and had been ill for some time. He was associated with the Sankara Math after he performed cataract surgery on Chandrasekharendra Saraswathi Swamigal. Influenced by his spiritual mentors, he set up Sankara Nethralaya in 1978.