Sukhadeo Thorat


Sukhadeo Thorat is an economist and was the former chairman of the University Grants Commission. He is professor emeritus in Centre for the Study of Regional Development, Jawaharlal Nehru University.

Biography

He hails from Mahar community of Maharashta.Thorat graduated with a B.A. from Milind College of Arts, Aurangabad, Maharashtra. He obtained an M.A. in Economics from Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University, M.Phil/PhD in Economics from Jawaharlal Nehru University, and Diploma in Economic Planning, Main School of Planning, Warsaw, Poland.

Academic career

Thorat was lecturer at Vasantrao Naik College, Aurangabad from 1973 to 1980. He was Faculty Member at Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi from 1980 onwards, and visiting faculty at Department of Economics, Iowa State University, Ames, USA during 1989–1991.
He has been a research associate of the International Food Policy Research Institute, Washington, DC since 1992. He was director, Indian Institute of Dalit Studies, New Delhi from January 2003 to February 2006. He served as the chairman of UGC from 2006–2011.

Memberships

Thorat has been a member of bodies like Council for Advancement of People's Action and Rural Technology, Social Justice Division of Planning Commission, Academic Council of Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University, Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University, Centre of Buddhist Studies, University of Hyderabad, Himachal Pradesh University and in the governing bodies of many more institutions. Thorat was also chairman of Indian Council of Social Science & Research.

Personal life

In 1956, due to the influence of mass conversion of Babasaheb Ambedkar, Thorat's family converted to Buddhism. Thorat is a Buddhist.

Awards

He has also authored 70 research papers published in national and international journals. He has worked on more than 25 research projects and has presented papers at national and international seminars and conferences.