Dr. Bibek Debroy, one of India's most influential economists and the Chairman of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Economic Advisory Council (EAC-PM), has died on Friday. Dr. Debroy, a 69-year-old renowned economist, has left behind an indelible mark on India's intellectual landscape, said PM Modi.
Dr. Debroy was a towering scholar, well-versed in diverse domains like economics, history, culture, politics, spirituality and more. Through his works, he left an indelible mark on India's intellectual landscape. Beyond his contributions to public policy, he enjoyed working on our ancient texts, making them accessible to the youth, the Prime Minister posted on the X social media platform.
"I have known Dr. Debroy for many years. I will fondly remember his insights and passion for academic discourse. Saddened by his passing away. Condolences to his family and friends. Om Shanti," PM Modi added.
A Padma Shri awardee, Debroy was also the Chancellor of the Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics in Pune.
From the beginning of NITI Aayog in January 2015 until June 2019, he was also the head economist. He wrote quite a few books and articles. He was also consulting/contributing editor for various newspapers.
Before his term with NITI Aayog (then the Planning Commission), Bibek Debroy was the Chairman of the high-powered committee under the Railways Ministry restructuring the country's lifeline.
He received a Padma Shri in 2015 and a Lifetime Achievement Award the next year by the US-India Business Summit.
Last month, almost 100 prominent personalities and public figures, including Debroy, expressed gratitude to the PM Modi government for classifying Bengali as a classical language. The step marks and values the splendour and cultural significance of Bengali, the noted citizens said, comprising professors, scholars, and educationists.
Debroy studied at Presidency College, Kolkata, and the Delhi School of Economics and received a scholarship from Trinity College to go to the University of Cambridge. There, he met his then supervisor, Frank Hahn, a noted British economist, and under Hahn's guidance, he worked on integrating information into a general equilibrium framework.
In September 2017, he was appointed as Chairman, Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister. Debroy has made important contributions in the fields of economic theory, income and social inequalities, poverty, law reforms, railway reforms, Indology, among others.
Debroy has also anchored 'Itihasa' which is a programme telecast on Sansad TV. He has also translated an unabridged version of the Mahabharata into the English language, in ten volumes, apart from multiple such valuable translations.
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