Bibek Debroy, economist and chief of PM’s Economic Advisory Council, dies at 69
Debroy left an ‘indelible mark on India’s intellectual landscape’ through his work, the prime minister said.
Bibek Debroy, economist and the chairperson of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister, died in New Delhi on Friday. He was 69 years old.
He was admitted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences and passed away due to “intestinal obstruction”, The New Indian Express quoted the hospital as saying.
Debroy was a member of the Union government-run think tank NITI Aayog between 2015 and 2019.
A recipient of the Padma Shri award, Debroy was widely published on several subjects, including economic reforms, governance and the Indian Railways. He authored and edited several books and articles, and was also a contributing editor with several newspapers.
He was also known for his translations of classical Sanskrit texts such as the Mahabharata and the Bhagavad Gita.
He was appointed as the chancellor of the Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics in Pune in July. However, he stepped down two months later after the Bombay High Court gave interim relief to Vice Chancellor Ajit Ranade, who had been removed from the post earlier.
On Friday, President Droupadi Murmu said that the country had lost an eminent public intellectual “who enriched diverse fields, from policy making to translating our great scriptures”.
Debroy’s understanding of India’s social, cultural and economic landscape “was exceptional”, Murmu said in a social media post.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that Debroy was a “towering scholar, well-versed in diverse domains like economics, history, culture, politics, spirituality and more”.
The economist left an “indelible mark on India’s intellectual landscape” through his work, Modi said on social media.
The prime minister added: “Beyond his contributions to public policy, he enjoyed working on our ancient texts, making them accessible to the youth…I will fondly remember his insights and passion for academic discourse.”
The Opposition Congress said that Debroy was a man of “unusually” wide-ranging interests, who had several institutional affiliations and “left his mark” everywhere.
“He also had a special skill for lucid exposition, in a manner that would make laypersons easily understand complex economic issues,” Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said, adding that Debroy was also a “prolific” commentator on public issues beyond economics.
“More than that, he will be remembered as a genuine Sanskritist of great erudition,” Ramesh said.
Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan said that Debroy was a “distinguished economist, a prolific author as well as an excellent academician”.
Debroy left behind a “lasting legacy in the world of economics, academia and literature”, Pradhan added.
The minister said: “He will be admired for his policy guidance on economic issues and noteworthy contributions to India’s development.”
This is a developing story. It will be updated as new details are available.