Latest News about Prabir Purkayastha
16/02/2026
The Enforcement Directorate imposed a penalty of ₹184 crore on NewsClick and its founder Prabir Purkayastha for violating the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA). The penalty includes ₹120 crore on the company PPK NewsClick Studio Pvt. Ltd. and ₹64 crore personally on Purkayastha, who was held liable as the director responsible for the company's conduct. The agency described the violations as substantial, deliberate, and systemic, involving large-scale foreign exchange transactions and breaches of statutory declarations regarding the nature of business activity and foreign inward remittances.
Do you like Prabir Purkayastha?
You can vote only once.
Bio/Wiki
| Prabir Purkayastha is an Indian engineer, author, and journalist known for founding the news website NewsClick in 2009. He is a co-founder of the Delhi Science Forum and a founding member of the People's Science Movement (PSM). He has co-authored books including 'Enron Blowout' (2002) and 'Uncle Sam's Nuclear Cabin' (2007), and published his autobiography 'Keeping Up the Good Fight' in 2024. |
Physical Stats & More
| Height | 5' 9" (175 cm) |
|---|---|
| Eye Color | Brown |
| Hair Color | Salt & Pepper |
Educational Qualification(s)
| College/University |
|
|---|---|
| Master’s Degree | Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology, Prayagraj |
| Master's Thesis | Indian Institute of Technology |
Personal Life
| Prabir Purkayastha is married to author Githa Hariharan. He has a son named Pratik from his marriage with Githa Hariharan. He was previously rumored to have been in a relationship with Ashoka Lata Jain. |
Relationships & More
| Marital Status | Married |
|---|---|
| Affairs/Girlfriends | Ashoka Lata Jain |
Family
| Wife/Spouse | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Children | Pratik | ||||
| Parents |
|
Career
| Began career as a corporate employee | |
| 2002: Co-authored 'Enron Blowout' with Vijay Prashad | |
| 2007: Co-wrote 'Uncle Sam's Nuclear Cabin' | |
| 2009: Founded news website NewsClick while working as a consultant | |
| Co-founder of Delhi Science Forum | |
| Founding member of People's Science Movement (PSM) | |
| 2023: Arrested under UAPA for allegedly receiving funds to promote pro-China content | |
| 2024: Published autobiography 'Keeping Up the Good Fight' | |
| 2026: Enforcement Directorate imposed ₹184 crore FEMA penalty on NewsClick and personally on Purkayastha |
Some Lesser Known Facts
| 1. Prabir advocates for scientific initiatives in power, telecommunications, and software fields. | |
| 2. In 2023, he gained attention for being arrested under UAPA for allegedly receiving funds to promote pro-China content. | |
| 3. During college, he was involved in student politics and faced jail time during the Emergency. | |
| 4. Prabir developed an interest in writing and penned articles on various subjects. | |
| 5. He began his career as a corporate employee. | |
| 6. In 2002, he co-authored the book Enron Blowout with Vijay Prashad. | |
| 7. He also co-wrote Uncle Sam's Nuclear Cabin in 2007. | |
| 8. In 2009, he started his news website, NewsClick, while working as a consultant. | |
| 9. Prabir contributed to the book Political Journeys in Health with Indranil and Richa Chintan. | |
| 10. He is a co-founder of the Delhi Science Forum. | |
| 11. Some sources link Prabir to the Communist Party of India (Marxist). | |
| 12. Reports suggest Prabir deals with hypertension, diabetes, and asthma. | |
| 13. He is a founding member of the People's Science Movement (PSM), a network promoting scientific literacy. | |
| 14. In 2024, he published his autobiography Keeping Up the Good Fight, detailing his life from the 1975 Emergency to his 2023 arrest. |