Banerjee acknowledged the news and went back to bed, but was soon flooded with calls—friends, colleagues, teachers, students and well-wishers. A few hours later, he attended a grand reception by the faculty and students on the Massachusetts Institute of Technology campus, where he is the Ford Foundation International Professor of Economics. Later in the evening, Banerjee, 58, spoke to THE WEEK in detail about his work, how India has fared in alleviating poverty and the current state of the Indian economy. Excerpts from an exclusive interview:
Q/ Kolkata is overjoyed. Presidency College has got the second Nobel laureate in economics.
A/ Well, it is special to me, no doubt. But not because I was a student of Presidency. It was special because I was part of a movement which did research on issues concerning people and their lives. Apart from that, everyone who got this award is from some place. So I am not very much overwhelmed that I belonged to Presidency College or certain institutes.
Q/ Many economists in India felt that it was just a matter of time.
A/ Let me tell you, there are many who also deserved it. Not all get it. But I got it. So one should be grateful. I accept this honour with absolute humility.
Q/ The Nobel committee said that you and your colleagues had changed the perception about poverty and development economics.
A/ Actually we saw closely the issues that we dealt with. Economists across the world have the tendency to see things from a distance. On the contrary, we saw poverty and other related issues like behavioural changes of human lives very closely. Many people did not take those issues seriously. But we defied that attitude and tried to understand poor people’s wrong behaviour. But, at last, the work got recognition, which made all of us happy.
This story is from the October 27, 2019 edition of THE WEEK.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the October 27, 2019 edition of THE WEEK.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
There Is A Wind Blowing Against The BJP, And It Will Only Pick Up Speed
Interview - Akhilesh Yadav, Former Chief Minister, Uttar Pradesh
Between hospital and home
Transitional care centres can add a lot to India's health care system
EFFORT VS EFFECT
The government's attempts to ensure quality drugs is evident, but how well new policies can be monitored on the ground remains to be seen
A way to let go of fear
Accepting the use of adult diapers is a journey with various stages-denial, concealment, rejection and reluctance
Mandeeps & a miracle
Two strangers, one deadly disease and an act of kindness. How Mandeep Mann saved Mandeep Singh, an acute leukaemia patient, by donating his stem cells
The A, B, C of cosmetic surgery
Between eight to 10 lakh cosmetic surgeries happen in India every year. Who is an ideal candidate, and what are the risks and results you can expect?
Vaccines and meningitis
In sub-Saharan Africa, from Senegal in the west to Ethiopia in the east, and encompassing the northern part of Nigeria, there exists a region known as the African Meningitis Belt (AMB).
Celebrating diversity and inclusivity
As Indians battle it out in our nation's 18th general election, it is again time for voters to reflect on the \"Idea of India\"-or rather, on two duelling ideas of India that are now before us and between which the nation must choose at the ballot box.
Defendant: an Hermès handbag
When Hermès was hit with a class-action lawsuit last month for \"antitrust\" activities, it didn't see it coming. Most of the luxury world has all eyes on this suit, filed by two interested consumers who claim they were denied a purchase, and whether it would go to trial.
A legacy, bound
Amal Allana's biography of her father, Ebrahim Alkazi, is as much personal as it is historical