Sukhadeo Thorat

Sukhadeo Thorat is Chairman, Indian Institute of Dalit Studies (IIDS), and Emeritus Professor, Jawaharlal Nehru University, India. He is an economist by training, who has worked extensively in the areas of agricultural deelopment, economic institutions and development, poverty, social exclusion and inequality, caste and economic discrimination, labour market discrimination, economic problems of excluded groups (Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes), higher education, urban slums, human rights, and economic ideas of Babasaheb Ambedkar in his previous roles at Jawaharlal Nehru University (1973–2014) and as the founder director of IIDS (2003–2006). He was also chairman of the University Grants Commission (2006–2011) and of Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR; 2011–2017). He has been awarded honorary DLitt, DSc, DS (Doctor of Education) and LLD degrees by 12 universities from India and 1 university from outside India. In 2008, Professor Thorat was awarded the Padma Shri, India’s fourth-highest civilian award; he was also awarded the Mother Teresa International Award and Babasaheb Ambedkar Ratna Award by the Delhi government.