Noted economist T.S. Papola passes away

The noted labour economist Dr. T.S. Papola passed away in Delhi on Monday. He was 74.

A founder Member, former director and currently honorary professor at the Institute for Studies in Industrial Development (ISID), New Delhi, Dr. Papola was also chairman, Giri Institute of Development Studies, Lucknow; founder member of the Institute for Human Development (IHD), New Delhi and Chairman of the Fourth State Finance Commission of Uttarakhand.

He was an Advisor with the Planning Commission, Government of India for eight years (1987-1995) and Chairman/Member of several State and National level bodies including the Prime Minister’s Advisory Council on Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs). He worked in consultative and advisory capacities with international organisations such as ILO, UNCTAD, UNIDO, UNICEF and UNDP.

Dr. Papola was president, Indian Society of Labour Economics, an association of teachers, researchers and practitioners in the field of labour in India, during 1994-2008. He was also president of the Indian Economic Association, for the year 2005–2006. Dr. Papola was awarded VKRV Rao Young Social Scientist Prize for outstanding contribution in Economics in 1984. He was also conferred VKRV Rao Lifetime Achievement Award for contribution to Social Science by the Indian Social Science Association and Kautilya Award by the UP-Uttarakhand Economic Association in 2007.

A well-known development economist, Dr. Papola specialised in the areas of labour and employment, development planning, industrial economics, regional development and enterprise development. He taught at the Universities of Lucknow and Bombay, Indian Institute of Management (Ahmedabad), and University of Cambridge, U.K.