Abhijit Sen

Economist

Indian Jamshedpur, Jharkhand, India

Quick Info

ProfessionEconomist
NationalityIndian
Date of Birth18/11/1950
Age71 years (died on 29, Aug, 2022)
BirthplaceJamshedpur, Jharkhand, India
Date of Death29/08/2022

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Educational Qualification(s)

EducationPhD In Economics
SchoolSardar Patel Vidyalaya
College/University
  • St Stephen’s College
  • Cambridge University
  • St Stephen's College, Delhi
PhD ThesisThe agrarian constraint to economic development: The case of India

Relationships & More

Marital StatusMarried

Family

WifeJayati Ghosh (economist)
ChildrenJahnavi Sen
Parents
FatherSamar Sen (economist, World Bank)
SiblingsDr Pronab Sen (economist, former chairman of the National Statistical Commission, former Chief Statistician of India)

Career

AwardsPadma Bhushan (2010)
Positions Held
  • Professor of Economics, Centre for Economic Studies and Planning (CESP), Jawaharlal Nehru University (1985-2015)
  • Chairperson, Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (1997-2000)
  • Member, Planning Commission (2004-2014)
  • Member, 14th Finance Commission
  • Member, State Planning Boards of West Bengal and Tripura
  • President, Indian Society of Agricultural Economics (several terms)
  • Conference President, Indian Society of Labour Economics (2010)
Committees Chaired
  • High-level Committee on Long-term Foodgrain Policy (2000-02)
  • Expert Committee on Rural Credit (1999-2001)
  • Chairman of the Committee on the Wholesale Price Index (2008)
  • Expert Committee on Impact of Commodity Futures Trading in India (2007-08)
  • Prime Minister’s Task Force on WTO (2000-01)
Teaching Positions
  • Cambridge University
  • Oxford University
  • Sussex University
  • Essex University
Key Contributions
  • Formulated the C2 cost of production methodology for agricultural pricing
  • Advocated for universal Public Distribution System eliminating poverty-line categorization
  • Recommended uniform pricing of rice, wheat and other grains through central government
  • Advised on Minimum Support Price framework for farm produce

Favourites

FoodChar-grilled fish
Cigarette brand(s)
  • Charms
  • Gauloises
RumOld Monk
WhiskyTeachers
VodkaSmirnoff

Style Quotient

Car CollectionHindustan Motor Ambassador

Some Lesser Known Facts

1. Abhijit Sen was a member of the Planning Commission of India from 2004 to 2014.
2. Before joining JNU, he was a professor at universities like Oxford, Sussex, Cambridge, and Essex.
3. Abhijit Sen held various significant government positions throughout his career.
4. During his time in office, he provided recommendations on farmers’ Minimum Support Price.
5. He advised the Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led Indian government on pricing for rice and wheat through a universal Public Distribution System.
6. His report on long-term Grain Policy advocated for a non-differentiated and universal Public Distribution System (PDS) and a Minimum Support Price (MSP) recommended by a Statutory CACP.
7. He was a strong advocate for the public distribution system of foodgrains and a leading expert on the rural economy.
8. He made seminal contributions to understanding Indian agriculture, rural poverty, and the conceptualization and measurement of poverty, unemployment, and inequality.
9. Before joining JNU in 1985, he was a professor at universities like Oxford, Sussex, Cambridge, and Essex.
10. He passed away due to a sudden heart attack on 29 August 2022 at the age of 71.
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