Bibek Debroy: Former Chairman of Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council

• Bibek Debroy, a renowned author, economist, and Padma Shri awardee, passed away at the age of 69.

• He was the Chairman of the Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council since 2017.

• Debroy was a member of the NITI Aayog, which replaced the Planning Commission, until mid-2019.

• He was a Sanskrit scholar who translated the Bhagavad Gita, the Vedas, the Ramayana, and the Mahabharata.

• He was also a Sanskrit scholar who had translated the Puranas.

• Debroy was admitted to the AIIMS emergency with “subacute intestinal obstruction” and died at 7 a.m. on Friday.

• Leaders across the political spectrum paid tribute to him, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi praising his contributions to public policy and making ancient texts accessible to the youth.

• Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman noted Debroy’s prolific participation in policy making.

• Debroy remained a prolific author and columnist, focusing on various issues, including arcane legislation and the Indian Railways’ history.

• He was a long-serving director of the Rajiv Gandhi Institute for Contemporary Studies (RGICS) between 1997 and 2005.