Bibek Debroy, noted economist and chairman of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister expired on Friday (November 1) morning, leaving a void in the think tank that will not be easy to fill. Debroy breathed his last at AIIMS; he was 69.
The economist received his education from Ramakrishna Mission School, Narendrapur and then graduated in economics from Presidency College, Kolkata. His skills in the subject was further sharpened at the Delhi School of Economics and Trinity College in Cambridge.
Education: The making of Bibek Debroy
Debroy’s career began in his alma mater Presidency College, Kolkata. He was also associated with Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics, Pune and Indian Institute of Foreign Trade in the national capital. He later served as a director with the Ministry of Finance/UNDP project on legal reforms and then as a member of the NITI Aayog up to June 5, 2019. He was an automatic choice as a member of the Centre’s think tank body since its inception in the beginning of 2015.
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Debroy belonged to a family that was originally inhabitants of Sylhet, now in Bangladesh. His grandfather and father migrated to India after Independence. Debroy was born in Shillong, now the capital of the state of Meghalaya.
Bibek Debroy the contributor to national development
Carrying the typical look of a scholar peering through thick lenses, Debroy had a razor sharp brain that he used with his characteristic understated tone and wit in debating circles. From the National Manufacturing Competitive Council to the High Powered Committee set up by the Ministry of Railways to restructure Indian Railways, Debroy enriched several committees with his deep insight and analytical skill in several crucial areas of the nation’s development.
Bibek Debroy the translator
The economist translated the Mahabharata into English as well as the Ramayana, the Bhagavad Gita, the Vedas, the Bhagavata Purana, the Markandeya Purana, Vishnu Purana and Brahma Purana.
He was conferred the Padma Shri, the fourth-highest civilian honour in India and a host of other awards including the Lifetime Achievement Award by US-India Business Summit.
