Bibek Debroy passes away at 69: Glimpses of his Mint columns on economic insights and constitutional advocacy

Prominent economist and chairman of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's economic advisory council Bibek Debroy passed away on November 1. He was 69.

A Padma Shri awardee, Debroy earlier served as the chancellor of the Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics (GIPE) in Pune. A celebrated author, Debroy used to write opinion columns for the Mint on topics such as the economy, education quality, and constitutional reforms.

Here are exceprts from some of his latest columns:

Freedom and linguistic identity: Is Bangladesh losing its anchor? – Aug 14, 2024

For the nostalgic generation which witnessed the nation’s freedom in 1971, Bangladesh has been moving away and will move further from its Bengali identity. Its dalliance with theocratic politics will impact India, but it’s reassuring that we’ve done well to strengthen our democracy.

The budget assures us continuity in spite of uncertainty - July 23, 2024

The budget presented on Tuesday is part of that forward-looking continuity. This continuity is anchored in conservative assumptions, given uncertainty (political flux, elevated asset prices and shipping disruptions). As finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s speech states, there are “significant” downside risks for growth and upside risks for inflation (though core inflation is under control).

Disparities in schooling quality need to end for better outcomes – June 5, 2024

While the Right to Education Act of 2009 addressed access issues, education quality remains uneven across Indian states. Learning outcome disparities must be addressed with focused interventions and resource allocations, engaging teachers and parents in the process.

Rice fortification can help tackle our problem of hidden hunger - Sep 20, 2023

Micronutrient deficiency-induced malnutrition, commonly known as hidden hunger, results from insufficient intake or absorption of vitamins and other minerals. This condition remains concealed until clinical signs of deficiency become apparent, impeding optimal health and development in children and affecting normal physical and mental functions among adults.

Hidden hunger can lead to severe consequences, including birth defects, impaired cognitive abilities, maternal and infant mortality, childhood blindness and reduced productivity. While balanced and diverse diets theoretically provide all necessary micronutrients for a healthy life, humans typically cannot produce these nutrients internally, except for vitamin D.

There’s a case for ‘we the people’ to embrace a new Constitution - August 14, 2023

For me, the bedrock is the Constitution. Everything else follows. We no longer possess the one we inherited in 1950. It has been amended, not always for the better, though since 1973 we have been told its ‘basic structure’ cannot be altered, irrespective of what democracy desires through Parliament; whether there is a violation will be interpreted by courts.

To the extent I understand it, the 1973 judgement applies to amendments to the existing Constitution, not a fresh one. University of Chicago Law School did a cross-country study of written constitutions and found their average life-span to be just 17 years.

This is 2023, 73 years after 1950. Our current Constitution is largely based on the Government of India Act of 1935. In that sense, it is also a colonial legacy. In 2002, there was a report by a commission set up to review the working of the Constitution, but it was a half-hearted effort. As with many aspects of law reform, a tweak here and another there won’t do.

We should start with first principles, as in the Constituent Assembly debates. What Constitution does India need for 2047?