Indian MP criticises Abhijit Banerjee over 2019 Nobel Economics Prize

World 09:57 15.10.2019

New Delhi (Sputnik): The Nobel Prize Committee on Monday awarded the 2019 Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences to Indian-born Abhijit Banerjee, his wife Esther Duflo, and Michael Kremer “for their experimental approach to alleviating global poverty".

Abhijit Banerjee, born in the western Indian city of Mumbai and who studied at Calcutta University in eastern Kolkata and the premier Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi, has been a critic of the economic policies of the Narendra Modi government, including demonetisation of the Indian currency in November 2016.

As he received the Nobel Economics Prize on Monday, together with his colleagues, some members of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) were not as enthusiastic about the global recognition of an individual with deep Indian roots.

A BJP parliamentarian and former federal Minister Anant Kumar Hegde took a dig at Banerjee, who had also been approached for consultation by the opposition Congress Party for its economic policies in the run-up to the April-May 2019 general elections.

A few days ahead of the announcement of the Nobel Prize, Banerjee had listed the major flaws in Indian economic infrastructure, and he described it as “extremely serious”.

“It is a combination of demonetisation, GST implementation and also in the monetary policy regime that basically tries to pin down inflation. Four years period average consumption going down hasn’t happened for many many years. I am guessing it was in the 1970s. This should be a fact that is extremely serious", he said at a talk at Brown University in Rhode Island, the United States.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was, however, quick to congratulate Banerjee and lauded his contributions in the field of poverty alleviation.

Former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, a globally respected economist himself said Abhijit Banerjee's work “on poverty alleviation and development of new techniques such as Randomised Control trials are truly path breaking”.

Opposition Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said in his congratulatory message that the policy framework conceptulaised with the help of Banerjee had “the power to destroy poverty and boost the Indian economy”.

 

IEPF issued a statement regarding Azerbaijani children at the UN Human Rights Council

News line

Palestinian man shot dead after stabbing Israeli soldier during West Bank raid
21:20 10.07.2025
Israel has agreed to 'significant steps' to improve humanitarian situation in Gaza: EU foreign policy chief
21:00 10.07.2025
EU aims to mobilize up to $11.7B in investments for Ukraine's reconstruction
20:45 10.07.2025
UNAIDS warns funding collapse could lead to 6M new HIV infections, 4M deaths
20:30 10.07.2025
UN report sounds alarm on climate health risks for world's aging population
20:00 10.07.2025
Merz: Germany fully supports Ukraine's plans to join EU
19:45 10.07.2025
Azerbaijani citizens involved in Wagner armed group arrested - State Security Service conducts operation
19:15 10.07.2025
Luka Modric signs one-year contract with Milan
19:00 10.07.2025
Rubio: US hopes to persuade NATO allies to transfer some Patriot systems to Ukraine
18:45 10.07.2025
Zelenskyy: 200 agreements with total value of over €10B ready to be signed
18:30 10.07.2025
Von der Leyen's EU Commission survives Parliament confidence vote
18:15 10.07.2025
SOCAR becomes jersey sponsor of Turkish First League side
18:00 10.07.2025
Azerbaijan takes leading postion in UN digital trade survey
17:45 10.07.2025
Ex-NBA player Ben McLemore sentenced to over 8 years in prison for rape
17:30 10.07.2025
Russia warns Armenia of sanctions risk
17:15 10.07.2025
COP29 President, COP30 President-designate hold discussions at OPEC seminar
17:00 10.07.2025
Ilham Aliyev's meeting with Nikol Pashinyan was constructive
16:55 10.07.2025
Baku says Azerbaijan, Armenia agreed to continue dialogue in bilateral format
16:45 10.07.2025
Peskov: Baku-Yerevan peace treaty will bring stability to South Caucasus
16:30 10.07.2025
Azerbaijan refunds over 94M manats of VAT to consumers
16:15 10.07.2025
Amnesty International slams US sanctions on UN Rapporteur Francesca Albanese
16:00 10.07.2025
China pushes back 50% US 'security' tariffs on copper imports
15:45 10.07.2025
Top Southeast Asian diplomats hold summit with China’s foreign minister
15:30 10.07.2025
Israeli strikes on Gaza leave 97 Palestinians killed, dozens more injured in past day
15:15 10.07.2025
Messi creates history in MLS, becomes first player to achieve rare feat
15:00 10.07.2025
Heavy rain delays over 300 flights in New Delhi
14:45 10.07.2025
Shamakhi to host conference on Modern Information Space and Freedom of Religious Belief
14:30 10.07.2025
At least 28 killed, dozens injured in pre-dawn Israeli strikes across Gaza Strip
14:15 10.07.2025
Court orders arrest of former South Korean president
14:00 10.07.2025
US nuclear-powered submarine makes first port call in Iceland
13:45 10.07.2025
Israeli soldier killed during attempted Hamas abduction in southern Gaza, IDF says
13:30 10.07.2025
ADY and China Railways reach agreement to increase BTK capacity
13:15 10.07.2025
U.S. measles cases hit highest level in 33 years,
13:00 10.07.2025
Azerbaijan, Saudi Arabia discuss co-op in hydrocarbon sector
12:45 10.07.2025
UK, France to order more Storm Shadow missiles, plan next-generation replacements
12:30 10.07.2025
Houthis kidnapped crew members of Eternity C vessel, US Embassy in Yemen says
12:15 10.07.2025
President Ilham Aliyev addresses participants of ICDO General Assembly session
12:00 10.07.2025
US to impose 50% tariffs on imports from Brazil starting August — Trump
11:45 10.07.2025
US resumes certain arms shipments to Ukraine
11:30 10.07.2025
SOCAR president participates in OPEC International Seminar
11:15 10.07.2025
Hamısı