Bibek Debroy awarded Padma Bhushan: Tracing the visionary economist's journey
What's the story
Renowned economist Bibek Debroy has been posthumously conferred the prestigious Padma Bhushan award for his contributions to literature and education.
Debroy, who passed away on November 1, 2024, aged 69, was a former member of Indian government think tank, NITI Aayog, and an economic advisor to the Prime Minister of India.
His unique expertise in classical Sanskrit and ancient texts set him apart from other economists.
Scholarly contributions
Diverse scholarly pursuits and translations
Born in Shillong, Debroy's academic interests were diverse, spanning from Sanskrit text translations to railway reforms.
He translated a number of ancient texts such as the Puranas, Valmiki Ramayana, and the Mahabharata.
Apart from translation, Debroy explored several research fields including economic theory, income inequality, and infrastructure financing.
One of his peculiar interests was to study the role of dogs in Indian/Hindu life.
Career trajectory
Educational journey and career highlights
Debroy started his education at Ramakrishna Mission Vidyalaya, Narendrapur.
After schooling, he became an alumnus of Presidency College, Kolkata, and studied further at Delhi School of Economics and Trinity College, Cambridge.
Later, he worked at Presidency College, Kolkata; Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics, Pune; and Indian Institute of Foreign Trade, Delhi.
He also headed a Ministry of Finance-UNDP project on legal reforms.
In 2016, Debroy headed a committee whose recommendations merged Rail Budget with Union Budget from 2017-18 onward.
Literary works
Literary contributions and tenure at NITI Aayog
Debroy's work went beyond economics into ancient Indian texts. He translated many Sanskrit books into English, including 10 volumes of Mahabharata and three volumes of Valmiki Ramayana.
He wrote several books, papers, and articles while working as a consulting editor for several newspapers.
Debroy was also an avid collector of fountain pens and co-authored a book, 'INKED IN INDIA: Fountain Pens and a Story of Make and Unmake.'
He served at NITI Aayog till June 5, 2019.
Other achievements
Other achievements and accolades
Debroy was previously awarded the Padma Shri (fourth-highest civilian honour in India) in 2015.
In 2016, he received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the US-India Business Summit.
In 2022, The Australia India Chamber of Commerce (AICC) honored him with the Lifetime Achievement Award.
In February 2024, Debroy was awarded the Insolvency Law Academy Emeritus Fellowship, recognizing his exceptional leadership, public service, and contributions to insolvency law.