Bibek Debroy, Chairman of PM Modi’s Economic Advisory Council, dies at 69

Debroy studied in Ramakrishna Mission School, Narendrapur, and Presidency College, Kolkata. He then went to the Delhi School of Economics and Trinity College, Cambridge. In one of his columns in 2022, Debroy mentioned how, on being asked to revise his dissertation for PhD by his supervisor at Cambridge, he decided not to do so in a “fit of juvenile anger, pride and insolence”, and returned with an M.Sc.

Debroy was a full-time Member of NITI Aayog from its constitution in 2015 until June 2019. A prolific author, Debroy authored and edited several books, including translations of the Ramayana, Mahabharata and the puranas, the four vedas and 11 major Upanishads.

PM Narendra Modi described Debroy as “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,” he wrote on X, expressing condolences.

“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,” the Prime Minister wrote.

Debroy was awarded a Padma Shri in 2015 and the Lifetime Achievement Award by the US-India Business Summit in 2016.

Expressing his condolences, PM Modi shared a picture with Bibek Debroy on X.

He had undertaken substantive research in the areas of legal reforms, manufacturing competitiveness, reforms in the Indian Railways, income and social inequality, and infrastructure financing.

In September this year, Debroy resigned as chancellor of Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics (GIPE) after the Bombay High Court extended interim relief to Vice Chancellor Ajit Ranade, who was earlier removed from his post.

“Bibek was a close friend for more than two decades. He had a sharp mind and a sharp tongue, and he always liked to call a spade a spade. One could have very open and frank conversations and fierce debates with him. His caustic words could sometimes be difficult to absorb.  One could disagree with him but he was never disagreeable,” Ranade said.

“I had the privilege of inviting him to Pune to deliver a talk, not on economics, but as titled ‘An economist’s journey through the epics’. His vast output of translations of Sanskrit texts and epics is not just prolific, but a great service to young readers. We will greatly miss him. It is perhaps poetic that his first job after coming back from England was at Gokhale Institute, and four decades later he returned as its Chancellor,” he said.

Debroy had worked in Presidency College, Kolkata (1979-83), Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics, Pune (1983-87), and Indian Institute of Foreign Trade, Delhi (1987-93). He then went on to work as the Director of a Ministry of Finance/ UNDP project on legal reforms (1993-98), followed by stints in the Department of Economic Affairs (1994-95), National Council of Applied Economic Research (1995-96), Rajiv Gandhi Institute for Contemporary Studies (1997-2005), PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry (2005-06) and Centre for Policy Research (2007-15).