Updated: September 26, 2020 8:15:53 pm
The economist Isher Judge Ahluwalia. (Express file)
Renowned economist Isher Judge Ahluwalia passed away on Saturday after a 10-month battle with brain cancer. She would have turned 75 on October 1 and is survived by her husband Montek Singh Ahluwalia and her two sons Pavan and Aman.
Ahluwalia served as director and then chair of the Indian Council of Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER) for a total of 15 years and made ICRIER a leading global think tank.
Last month, she had resigned as president of ICRIER due to poor health. “The ICRIER family is deeply saddened by the passing of President Emeritus Dr. Isher Judge Ahluwalia this morning,” the PTI news agency quoted the expert group as saying. ICRIER Director and CEO Rajat Kathuria said: “I can say without a shred of doubt that ICRIER was in their DNA.”
After starting her career at the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Ahluwalia returned to India, where she authored two books: ‘Industrial growth in India: stagnation since the mid-1960s’ Y ‘Productivity and growth in Indian manufacturing’. She was also a professor at the Center for Policy Research. Her latest book ‘Breaking the road: a memoir by Isher Judge Ahluwalia‘ it was published last month.
Former Union Minister Jairam Ramesh took to Twitter to pay tribute to the deceased soul. “Isher Ahluwalia, who has just passed away, was one of India’s distinguished economists, a Ph.D. from MIT and the author of an influential book ‘Industrial Growth in India.’ He created ICRIER, an excellent center for economic studies. She had her own distinctive identity in addition to being Montek’s wife, ”he wrote.
Isher Ahluwalia, who has just passed away, was one of India’s distinguished economists, a Ph.D. from MIT, and the author of an influential book “Industrial Growth in India.” He created ICRIER, an excellent center for economic studies. He had his own distinctive identity in addition to being Montek’s wife.
– Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) September 26, 2020
Punjab’s chief minister, Captain Amarinder Singh, also expressed his condolences to Ahluwalia’s family. On Twitter Amarinder wrote: “I am saddened to hear of the passing of Dr. Isher Judge Ahluwalia. She was one of the most distinguished economists in India and we were privileged to have her as Vice Chair of the State Planning Board in my last term. Our condolences to Montek ji and her family in this hour of pain. “
Saddened to learn of the passing of Dr. Isher Judge Ahluwalia. She was one of the most distinguished economists in India and we were privileged to have her as vice chair of the State Planning Board in my last term. Our condolences to Montek ji and her family in this hour of pain.
– Captain Amarinder Singh (@capt_amarinder) September 26, 2020
After passing his West Bengal Upper Secondary Board Exam in 1962 from Shri Shikshayatan Vidyalaya, ranking 8th in the state, Ahluwalia went to Presidency College, Kolkata, to study economics on a scholarship of Rs 35 per month, which he paid his college fees and the streetcar ride from home and back. He then joined the Delhi School of Economics to obtain his master’s degree. Armed with a senior first division in a year in which seven of the eight ‘top divers’ were women, Isher applied to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where she was accepted with a scholarship.
His research focused on urban development, macroeconomic reforms, industrial development and social sector development issues in India.
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