Former Director of the Delhi School of Economics and a Renowned Economist Suresh Tendulkar Died

A former director of the Delhi School of Economics died on 22 June 2011. Tendulkar served as the chairman of the Prime Minister's Economic Advisory Council in 2008-09. He was a colleague of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in Delhi School of Economics. He taught many subjects, including Indian Economy, Industrial Economics and Planning as a faculty member of the Delhi School of Economics. His did pathbreaking work on poverty which guide and inspire the coming generations of economists. He was a firm believer of liberalisation policies and was against the controlled regime.

Tendulkar’s Achievements

•    Tendulkar had succeeded Rangarajan as the chairman of the National Statistical Commission.
•    In 2009, Tendulkar headed a committee that came out with a new method to calculate poverty. According to this method, the number of the poor in the country in 2004-05 went up from 27.5 per cent of the total population to 37.2 per cent. Till the new method, the Centre used to estimate poverty by measuring calorie intake by individuals. But the Tendulkar committee moved to a wider definition, including spending on food as well as education, health, and clothing.
•    Tendulkar had also come up with a novel method to calculate people below the poverty line.
•    He was a member of the first Disinvestment Commission (1996-99).
•    He was also a member of the Fifth Central Pay Commission (1994-97).
•    Tendulkar authored several books like Reintegrating India with the World Economy and Understanding Reforms.