Quick Info

ProfessionEngineer
NationalityIndian
Date of Birth01/01/1949
Age77 years
BirthplaceDelhi

Latest News about Prabir Purkayastha

17/02/2026

The Enforcement Directorate imposed a penalty of ₹184 crore on NewsClick and its founder Prabir Purkayastha for violating the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA). Of this, ₹120 crore was on NewsClick and ₹64 crore personally on Purkayastha, who was held responsible as the director in charge of the company's conduct. The agency described the contraventions as substantial, deliberate, and systemic, involving large-scale foreign exchange transactions and breaches of statutory declarations.

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Physical Stats & More

Height5' 9" (175 cm)
Eye ColorBrown
Hair ColorSalt & Pepper

Educational Qualification(s)

College/University
  • Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology, Prayagraj
  • Indian Institute of Technology Delhi
  • School of Language at Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi
Master’s DegreeMotilal Nehru National Institute of Technology, Prayagraj
Master's ThesisIndian Institute of Technology

Relationships & More

Marital StatusMarried
Affairs/GirlfriendsAshoka Lata Jain

Family

Wife/Spouse
  • Ashoka Lata Jain (rumoured)
  • Githa Hariharan (an author)
ChildrenPratik (from his second wife Githa Hariharan)
Parents
FatherName
MotherS 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.
Information on this page is collected from public sources and may not be 100% accurate. Report an error
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