Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman with economist Bibek Debroy. File | Photo credit: X/@nsitharaman
Bibek Debroy, chairman of the Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council, died on November 1, 2024 at the age of 69. News of the economist, author and professor’s death drew condolences and tributes from ministers, politicians and others in his field.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Droupadi Murmu were among those who paid tribute to the former NITI Aayog member.
Narendra Modi
“Dr. Bibek Debroy Ji was a leading scholar, well versed in various fields such as economics, history, culture, politics, spirituality and more. With his works he has left an indelible mark on the intellectual landscape of India. Besides his contributions to public policy, he enjoyed working on our ancient texts, making them accessible to the youth,” Mr. Modi wrote.
President Draupadi Murmu
President Droupadi Murmu said the country has lost an eminent public intellectual with the death of Bibek Debroy.
“With the death of Dr. Bibek Debroy, the country has lost an eminent public intellectual who enriched various fields, from policymaking to translating our great scriptures. His understanding of India’s social, cultural and economic landscape was exceptional. For his outstanding contributions, he was honored with Padma Shri. I extend my condolences to his family, friends and admirers,” Ms Murmu said in a message on X.
Nirmala Sitharaman
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman noted that Debroy “prolificly participated in policy making”.
“It is with deep sorrow that I condole the death of Shri Bibek Debroy. As chairman of the PM’s Economic Advisory Council, he participated extensively in policymaking. His interests included: ancient texts, Vedic and classical Sanskrit, Devi, Railways. He was prolific in translating Sanskrit into English – our epics and puranas. His book Sarama and Her Children showed his uncanny talent in extracting nuggets from our ancient texts. Bibek, you had so much more to do and complete – for all of us!” wrote Ms Sitharaman.
Amit Shah
Home Minister Amit Shah called him a “scholar of unparalleled versatility”.
“Deeply hurt by the death of Bibek Debroy Ji, Chairman of the Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council. Debroy Ji was a scholar of unparalleled versatility who made prolific contributions in the fields of economics, history and philosophy. He will always be remembered for his distinguished contributions to Bharat’s development journey,” Mr Shah wrote.
Dharmendra Pradhan
Union Minister Dharemendra Pradhan also shared his admiration for Debroy on the news of his death.
“Deeply saddened by the passing of Dr. Bibek Debroy. He was a leading economist, a prolific author and an excellent academic. He will be admired for his policy guidelines on economic issues and his remarkable contributions to India’s development. His columns in newspapers enriched and enlightened millions. Dr. Debroy leaves a lasting legacy in the world of economics, academia and literature. My sincere condolences to his family and friends,” Mr Pradhan wrote.
Jairam Ramesh
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said Mr Debroy was “always thought-provoking, media commentator on public issues far beyond the economy”.
“A man of unusually wide interests, Bibek Debroy was primarily an outstanding theoretical and empirical economist who worked and wrote on various aspects of the Indian economy. He also had a special skill in explaining clearly, in a way that allowed laypeople to easily understand complex economic issues. Over the years, he has had numerous institutional ties and has made his mark everywhere,” said Mr. Ramesh.
Sachin Chaturvedi
Sachin Chaturvedi, Director General of the Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS) mourned the passing of “one of the greatest Indian economists of our time, who was also a widely admired intellectual known for his authoritative contributions to Indian history, philosophy and culture. traditions”.
“RIS was fortunate to have been guided by him over the years. He was with us recently and we reminisce about the beautiful, inspiring and candid moments he spent with us,” Mr. Chaturvedi said.
Published – Nov 1, 2024 1:12 PM IST
