Meghnad Desai, eminent economist, passes away; PM Modi expresses condolences
House of Lords member Meghnad Desai passed away on Tuesday at the age of 84. Meghnad Desai was a distinguished economist. Hailing from Gujarat, India, Desai served as emeritus professor of economics at the London School of Economics, teaching there from 1965 to 2003.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences on X: "Anguished by the passing away of Shri Meghnad Desai Ji, a distinguished thinker, writer and economist. He always remained connected to India and Indian culture. He also played a role in deepening India-UK ties. Will fondly recall our discussions, where he shared his valuable insights. Condolences to his family and friends. Om Shanti."
Following his master's degree from the University of Bombay (now Mumbai), Desai pursued doctoral studies at the University of Pennsylvania in 1960, completing his PhD within three years.
On April 30, 1991, he received the title Lord Desai of St Clement Danes. His influence extended across academic and political spheres in Britain through his roles as an LSE professor, Labour politician and honorary associate of the National Secular Society.
Desai founded the Centre for the Study of Global Governance at the LSE in 1992. He also served as director and founding member of the LSE's Development Studies Institute from 1990 to 1995, according to an ET report.
Desai conducted extensive research for more than five decades, focusing on how private enterprises and government policies influenced development. His work encompassed Marxian economics, globalisation, and market liberalisation.
In the early 1970s, he began publishing works on Marxian Economic Theory, later expanding his academic pursuits to include econometrics, monetarism, and economic development.
His published works include significant titles such as 'Marxian Economic Theory', 'Marx's Revenge: The Resurgence of Capitalism and the death of Statist Socialism', 'The Rediscovery of India', 'Who Wrote the Bhagwadgita' and 'Nehru's hero Dilip Kumar'. His academic contributions also include over 200 scholarly articles.
As an active participant in the British Labour Party, Desai served as Chairman from 1986 to 1992. Near the conclusion of his chairmanship, he received the title of Baron Desai in the City of Westminster in April 1991.
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