Sukhadeo Thorat

Sukhadeo Thorat is a leading Indian economist and scholar whose research has fundamentally shaped how India addresses economic inequality through the lens of caste discrimination. Born on July 12, 1949, he served as a faculty member at Jawaharlal Nehru University's Centre for the Study of Regional Development from 1973 to 2014 and continues as Professor Emeritus. His scholarly work spans agricultural development, rural poverty, social exclusion, labour market discrimination, and the economic philosophy of B. R. Ambedkar—making him a recognized expert on integrating Dalit perspectives into development economics.

Thorat's most influential contribution has been establishing rigorous empirical evidence of caste-based economic discrimination in contemporary India. As founder and director of the Indian Institute of Dalit Studies (2003–2006), he led landmark research using résumé-testing methodology to demonstrate that job applicants with Dalit and Muslim names faced significantly lower chances of employment success compared to those with high-caste Hindu names—translating abstract concepts of caste prejudice into quantifiable economic harm. His work has directly influenced India's social science research agenda and policy discussions on inclusive development.

Beyond scholarship, Thorat has wielded significant institutional power as Chairman of the University Grants Commission (2006–2011) and Chairman of the Indian Council of Social Science Research, positions that shaped higher education policy and research priorities across the nation. He also serves as a Founder Member of the Centre for Economic and Social Studies. His contributions have been recognized with India's Padma Shri award (the fourth-highest civilian honor), the Mother Teresa International Award, and the Babasaheb Ambedkar Ratna Award from the Delhi government—signaling both national recognition and the Dalit community's acknowledgment of his scholarship as advancing Ambedkar's vision of economic justice.