Braj Bihari Kumar to succeed economist S K Thorat as ICSSR Chairman

The Union government has appointed Braj Bihari Kumar, editor of quarterly journals Dialogue and Chintan Srijan, as the new Chairman of the Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR).

Kumar’s name was finalised for the top position by the Union Ministry of Human Resource Development on 2 May 2017. He would be succeeding noted economist S K Thorat, who was appointed by the former UPA government.

Key Highlights

• 76-year-old Kumar would be holding the post for three years.

• His name was finalised from a shortlist prepared by a selection panel.

• Other names in the shortlist included I K Bajaj and PM Kamath.

• The selection panel comprised National Research Professor Ashok Modak, Panjab University emeritus professor Jitendra Mohan and historian Satish Mittal.

• Outgoing Chairman S K Thorat had been leading the council since April 2011.

About Braj Bihari Kumar

• He is the founding member of the non-governmental organisation (NGO) Astha Bharati that aims to promote India’s unity and integrity.

• The NGO publishes the two quarterly journals, Dialogue and Chintan Srijan and has Kumar as the editor of both.

• He has previously served as the former principal of Sao Change Government College in Tuensang (Nagaland) and Science College in Kohima.

• He has written, edited and co-authored 136 books.